The Ayanami Sanctions
by AngelNo13Bardiel
Summary: Rei Ayanami. Pilot, soldier, Seed...survivor. -Story completed/C&C appreciated/Please review-
1. The Killer in Me is the Killer in You

**DISCLAIMER:** I still don't own Evangelion or any of the characters, they're still property of…well, whoever owns them these days. This fic's got nothing to do with Rebuild, just the original series/movies. This one takes place in **THE IKARI IDENTITY**/**SUPREMACY**/**ULTIMATUM** series, so read them first if you haven't. A quick warning right now: the timeline jumps around a bit, but I'll give you guys a heads-up (in future disclaimers) when it moves around. For now, this takes place before **IDENTITY**. And lastly, 'this' is thoughts and "this" is speech.

**-THE AYANAMI SANCTIONS-**

Chapter 1: The Killer in Me is the Killer in You

The night view out across an expanse of mountainous terrain and deep forest from his office was what Kiel Lorenz stared at as he thought over the last few weeks' developments and scenario deviations. The Third Child had been activated, but failed in eliminating Kaji Ryoji and subsequently disappeared…most likely deceased. The Second Child had fared no better, vanishing along with Major Katsuragi.

Then there had been the deaths of three of SEELE's main cabal by the hands of an unknown assailant. The remaining eight besides himself had been all too quick to turn on one another, momentarily forgetting their main objective out of fear of someone within looking to usurp the entire project. The Chairman had stayed back from the debacle, knowing that there would still be the faithful and loyal left when the dust settled. Unfortunately, that had ended up being only himself…any of the more trustworthy among his circle had been killed along with the suspicious and paranoid by their own agent, Kaworu Nagisa.

Kiel smiled as he thought of that particular trap-in-wait he had left Commander Ikari, who he was certain had had more than a hand in the first three deaths, with. 'Tabris knows who he is loyal to,' he thought to himself. 'If nothing else, Ikari shall know what it means to be against an enemy with no hope of victory.' Although set back quite a bit, the Human Instrumentality Project was still able to be implemented as long as he remained hidden away from harm. If nothing else, several of the EVA series were close to completion and any one could be used to eliminate Nagisa. And without a pilot for any of the Evangelions at NERV Tokyo-3 to combat them, taking the Geofront would be all too easy. 'It's all just a matter of time…'

The creak of a door behind him caused Kiel to quickly turn himself around towards the front of the room. Into the office walked a figure in tight head-to-toe black outfit not unlike a plug suit, the red lenses on the mask staring in his direction. The build of the suit made it difficult to tell if the person was male or female, but the height was not dissimilar to the Fifth Child's. "I hadn't called for you, Nagisa. Is there something amiss?" he questioned the figure. "You needn't keep the mask on here, I believe we're quite safe."

"Then you have thought wrong," came the voice of the figure in black, distorted by a device built into the headgear. Removing a silenced pistol from its holster and pointing it towards Kiel, the figure slowly walked closer to the Chairman's desk.

Kiel's surprise was well-hidden as he watched the person train their weapon on his head. "Ah, I had wondered when you would show," he said with a smirk. Pressing a button on his chair, he spoke up again. "Nagisa, I believe you're needed upstairs." A long, stagnant silence fell over the room as his expression fell. "I see…he never left the Tokyo-3 facility again, did he?" The figure shook its head slowly. "I'm guessing that means security is down as well?" he said, reaching for an emergency alarm button under the desk.

"That has been cut well in advance," the figure said, knowing what the Chairman was up to. "There is no one coming." Keeping one hand on the weapon pointed at Kiel, the person brought the other hand up behind their head and slowly pulled the mask off, revealing the cerulean hair and ruby eyes of Rei Ayanami. "I was told that you should know…before I do what I must," she said in her more normal subdued tone, free of vocal distortion.

Kiel's expression slowly went from utter surprise to the faintest hint of a smile. "Well, well…'the First Child has been completely eradicated upon the self-destruction of Evangelion Unit-00 during combat with the 16th Angel'," he said, recounting the contents of that particular report. "I see that even intelligence has gone lax recently."

"You seem at peace with this situation," Rei spoke up. "I was under the impression you had not known I was alive."

"Your death, sadly, never went into question," Kiel replied, "but I was quite sure that Ikari had been pulling the strings all along. What a mistake it was to trust that man in the first place…" he continued, shaking his head in disgust. "I am curious, though. How did he know of this compound? Not even the other members of SEELE knew it was here."

"I do not know," Rei answered. "I only knew to come here and complete my mission."

"Indeed," Kiel mocked, a slight laugh escaping him. "Do you even know why you're doing this? I can only wonder what lies he's told you to agree with him."

"I know that you are planning to take NERV by force, regardless of the appearance of the final Angel," Rei said, stopping before the large desk between herself and Kiel. "And that you will do whatever you can to stop Commander Ikari's main project."

Kiel barely held back a snort at her reply. "Of course that's what you were told," he said. "He has indeed spoon-fed you his own 'truth'. I wonder if you even know what we had planned for you…"

"I am aware of what you intended," Rei answered, thinking back to the moment she discovered her 'other purpose'…

**-**_**Twenty-two days earlier**_**-**

Rei stood before the tank deep inside Terminal Dogma that held her 'other selves'. But it was now empty, the LCL within now having become a deep red color with small bits of flesh and other barely-identifiable parts floating about inside. The door opened to revel the silhouette of Commander Ikari, who walked inside. "Sir, what has happened here?" she asked.

"It would seem that the Committee had gotten Doctor Akagi to try and…hinder what progress she could," Gendo replied.

"Committee, sir?" Rei questioned.

"You have heard the name 'SEELE' mentioned before, yes?" Gendo asked. Rei thought the word over for a few seconds before nodding. "They are the organization in charge of NERV, looking to carry out their own project," he explained. "And to that end, I suspect they are trying to infiltrate and overtake us."

"They are aware of what is kept here?" Rei asked, referring to Lilith a few levels below them.

Gendo nodded, staring into the tank. "The old men have their own plans for her," he continued. "Not to mention what they intended to do with you as well at the Second and Third Children."

"What would they have done with me?" Rei asked.

"Have you noticed strange lines of thought lately?" Gendo questioned. "The need to avoid being watched by others? The feeling that you could incapacitate anyone who attempted to harm or capture you? Thinking tactically about everyday routines?"

Rei stared at the Commander before looking back inside the empty tank. Ever since her recent 'death', she had begun to have these odd thoughts occur more and more frequently as the days went on. "Yes, I am aware of these foreign thoughts," she finally answered. "What do they mean?"

"Do you know what the theory of genetic memory is?" Gendo asked. Rei slowly shook her head. "It says that memory, mostly learned instincts and abilities, can be passed genetically. It happens in animals quite often, but the fact that it happened to you proves it is more than theory." He paused for a few seconds to turn back towards her. "What you are experiencing is a form of subconscious training that SEELE had programmed into synchronization tests. Every one you ever took has planted more and more of these abilities into an untapped part of your mind. There was an implant in your body that would have triggered these skills whenever the Committee wanted. But your…death some time ago eliminated that body. But those subconsciously-implanted abilities have passed genetically to your current body."

Rei continued to stare into the tank, thinking over the Commander's explanation. "What manner of skills are these?" she finally questioned.

"I am afraid it is not something I could tell you. Perhaps it is better if I show you," Gendo replied. As Rei turned back to look at him, he attempted to backhand her. Not enough to even hurt, but enough to trigger what she knew. As the fist came within arm's reach of her, she felt some unknown instinct take over as she quickly sidestepped the swing before twisting it around behind the Commander's back and forcing him to his knees. "And now…you see just what they have done," he said through gritting teeth. He had expected some pain, but her speed had surprised even him.

As she released his arm, Rei stared at her hands, her actions causing her to feel disconnected from her body for a moment. "I…I am capable of these things?"

"And much more," Gendo answered, fully standing again, no permanent damage done. "That is only the first of many new talents you will discover."

"Discover, sir?" Rei asked.

Gendo started towards the door. "Come with me, Rei. There is…much we need to discuss about how we will proceed from now." Rei did not reply, quietly following the commander out of the room as he explained what she would be doing for the foreseeable future.

**-**_**End flashback**_**-**

"Well, it is of little consequence in the end," Kiel's words snapped Rei back to the present, her still pointing the gun at him. "Tell me, for someone with no experience at _actually_ killing another or having been trained in how to deal with it…what did you feel, if anything?"

"I do not understand," Rei stated, unsure of the older man's motives.

"Nagisa had been trained and molded from an early age to do what he can," Kiel said. "He does not feel what he does. Can the same be said of you? Specifically because the first one had been…untidy, shall we say?"

Rei considered the question. Her first target, the man designated SEELE-07, had been found right in Japan. Sendai, to be exact. It had been a…messy affair, a knife being the object of his demise. But she had done it in a quiet and efficient manner, as her orders had been. No witnesses, no traces of her. "I followed my orders to the letter," she finally said. "What I feel is not a factor in the slightest."

"Indeed," Kiel mused. "Ever the consummate professional, are we? At least the others had been much cleaner."

Rei knew very well what he meant. She was directed toward California and SEELE-12 next, who had met his end at plastic explosives placed under his vehicle on a stretch of highway near the Joshua Tree National Monument.

"And just how far away _was_ that shot you placed into 09?" Kiel questioned.

"Seven-hundred and eighty-eight yards," Rei answered, still puzzled by the man's calm demeanor. SEELE-09 had been found in Khotan, China. His level of protection had been a sharp incline from the others, necessitating the need to eliminate him from…extreme range. But she had done it, just as ordered.

"Impressive," Kiel told her. "Most impressive." He seemed to look over at her, but Rei couldn't be certain because of the visor. "I imagine you must be wondering why I can be so calm at a time like this."

"I had thought that, yes," Rei said.

Kiel's features turned into just the ghost of a smile. "Because I know that I shall have the last victory," he explained. "If this is where the Human Instrumentality Project is to end, then _everything_ might as well end. Nagisa will see to that."

Rei's eyes hardened just barely. 'I knew he was not to be trusted,' she thought, remembering back to when they had first caught sight of the other…

**-**_**Two days earlier**_**-**

Rei walked down the corridor to the escalators at NERV, her newest assignment having been handed down. 'Austria,' she thought, mentally reciting the orders again. 'Kiel is the last one.' A glimpse of grey somewhere in the distance drew her attention, finally getting her first look at the Fifth Child. Just a moment later, he caught her gaze and returned it, a small smile on his face…but she could almost feel the pure _malice_ behind it.

Rei gripped the handle of her supply bag harder, something at the back of her mind urging her to simply pass him quickly. That was not to happen, however. "Ah, the First Child," Kaworu spoke, placing a hand out for her to shake. "I am glad to meet you. I have heard…much about you."

Rei did not take the offered hand, only staring into eyes almost identical to her own. "You are Nagisa," she stated. "What are you doing here?"

Kaworu retracted his hand, the smile never leaving. "I go where I am needed, and Commander Ikari has need of me," he explained. "It appears you are leaving. May I ask where?"

"That is none of your concern," Rei answered, continuing to walk down the hallway.

"Kiel, right?" she heard Kaworu ask. Rei turned around slowly, their eyes meeting again. "It must be, the others are all dead."

Rei could see the glint in his eye as he spoke that last sentence. "That was your doing, am I correct?"

Kaworu nodded. "As I said, I go where I am needed." As she turned to continue out, he spoke up again. "I do hope, when you return, we may have time to talk. I am certain we may find that there is…much about us that is similar. We are the same, after all."

"No, we are not," Rei said flatly, not missing a step.

She heard a short laugh behind her. "I think you shall find that you are wrong about that, Ayanami."

As she turned to look at Kaworu again, Rei found that the hallway was empty behind her. She hesitantly continued leaving, the sensation in the back of her mind having become _far_ more powerful than it had been a moment ago. 'I shall make certain to keep watch on him,' she told herself.

Rei felt the smallest amount of fear, being around Nagisa gave her the same feeling as standing before…_**her**_.

**-**_**End flashback**_**-**

"I will do what I must when that happens," Rei finally told him. "When you mentioned Instrumentality, what did you mean?"

Kiel leaned back, sighing. "It would be far easier to simply show you," he said, reaching into a drawer. Rei stepped forward quickly, the pistol still trained on his head. "Here," he continued, ignoring her physical warning and sliding a flash drive across the desk's surface. "There is a main computer in the basement level of this building. Plug that in, select 'transfer archive' when prompted, and do whatever you wish with the information. But I suspect you'll look it over yourself before you show _him_."

Rei used her free hand to reach out and take the small device. "I do not understand."

"I imagine you wouldn't," Kiel replied. "Tell me, did Ikari tell you what stopping your medication would do? The increase in physical strength and stamina, the faster cognitive awareness, the sharper perception?" His smile became much darker. "I feel like that's _all_ he told you."

"And how do you know that?" Rei asked. The Commander had told her that upon leaving the Dummy Core, explaining just what the pills she had been taking were _actually_ doing to her: holding back Lilith's DNA within her. It would make her better than human…not superhuman, but _better_.

"Doctor Akagi told us during her…interrogation," Kiel answered. "She did not reveal that you still lived, however. I guess even _then_ her blind loyalty to that man remained." He shook his head. "But I digress. The medication also kept your…instincts from gaining awareness. I think, in time, you'll see what I mean."

"Why are you telling me this?" Rei asked. "Why give me this?" she continued, holding up the flash drive. "Your motives elude me."

"I can't stop you from following your orders," Kiel explained, "but I _can_ perhaps do a few last things to hinder Ikari's plans. I offer you the truth, no illusions at all." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and holding his hands in an almost prayer-like position. "It is really too bad that I will not be able to see the look on his face when it all falls apart, however." His head tilted up toward Rei once more. "Go on…do what you must."

Rei hesitated for a moment before nodding, she could not disregard her orders. She quickly squeezed the trigger, the only sounds in the office being a muffled gunshot and the '_thud_' when Kiel's head landed on his desk.

* * *

"It is done, Commander," Rei spoke into the cell phone. She had made her way back out of the compound and back to the VTOL she had used to travel here, retrieving the item from her pack as soon as she made it there.

"Very good work, Rei," Gendo's voice told her. "Did you take care of the building?"

Rei stared back towards the compound, where the smoke from a very large fire was clearly visible, even given the almost-twenty-mile distance between here and there. "Yes sir."

"Excellent. Return here at once, there are still a few things before the scenario can proceed." Rei closed the phone and put it back in the bag before moving towards the cockpit. As she began the familiar startup on the machine, she glanced at the flash drive in her hand, remembering those words, "_I offer you the truth, no illusions at all_." She had done what Kiel said to, accessing his database and transferring it to the drive. She would be looking over the information when she returned to Tokyo-3...but something told her to do so in private company, and whatever she found would dictate if she should present it to Commander Ikari or not.

* * *

'He lied to me.'

That thought had been in Rei's mind for quite some time now. It had been six days since her 'meeting' with Chairman Kiel. Since returning, she had come home to her silent apartment and accessed the information on the flash drive he had offered…using her school laptop as not to be monitored, although by who, she wasn't certain. The fact that it had not been encrypted had surprised the former First Child. She could only speculate that this had been because the device had not been originally intended for her, but someone (or something) else. She was not certain of that…or anything else really, given what she had read.

'He lied to me,' she mentally repeated. Commander Ikari had told her the Committee was planning to come and take NERV by force, they needed the Evas for their own version of Instrumentality: they would first eliminate anyone who did not agree with them, then start something called the 'Red Earth Purification Ceremony'. "_A one-sided sacrament_," Gendo had told her, "_with no room for anyone who doesn't agree with SEELE_." Kiel's information not been the same, however. The ceremony was planned, yes, but there would be no use of force (minus what it took to regain the Evas). It would be forcing everyone who existed into becoming one with God, yes, but there was no evil in their intentions…perhaps a misplaced, zealous righteousness. But there was nothing overtly _evil_.

Commander Ikari had actually been on _their_ side…or so SEELE had believed for a time. The closer the records had come to the present date, though, the more it was apparent that he and they had taken very different paths…and they knew it. That was the _only_ reason behind having to take NERV by force: he had been crafting his own plans for Instrumentality, using the Committee for his own ends. They had an idea of why…and she had been gone for nearly a decade.

When she accessed the information on Yui Ikari, Rei had made an audible gasp. It was like looking into a mirror, albeit with some color and age differences. Between the lies she had been told by him and the physical resemblance she now saw, it was quite apparent exactly _why_ the First Child existed at all. 'I am a surrogate for her…and the key to being able to be with her,' she thought, the anger surprising her. She had begun feeling more and more conflicting emotions lately. What Kiel had told her about the medication was starting to make more sense. 'That is why…I am like this.'

All the while questioning her loyalty and what was actually '_truth_', Rei had gone through every trace of the archive, finding out more and more about the subliminal training the pilots had been given…and the Third and Second Children's activations and disappearances. She had been aware of this, but had never given it any thought. She felt used…manipulated. The more she thought back on her 'previous self''s memories, which had also begun replaying themselves in her mind recently, the more she realized that Commander Ikari had only treated her as he did to further his own ends. He had shown care, but only because it made her more receptive to his orders.

Now, though, Rei's thoughts drifted to the one person who had asked very little of her, who had never manipulated her, who had shown _genuine_ care for her, who had probably never even harbored the thought of betraying her trust. "Shinji…" she whispered in the dark of her room. "What would _you_ do at this moment?" The next thought was almost instantaneous: 'He would not follow along with this. He would escape.' That didn't seem like a solid enough plan for this, however. 'Very well then, I will have to stop Commander Ikari.'

The sound of her phone ringing shook Rei from her musings. A quick look at the time told her it was almost night, she had been thinking for several hours. Picking it up, she answered calmly. "Yes, Commander?"

"The Second Child has been spotted in the vicinity of Tokyo-3," Gendo said. "We have a general idea that she's heading for Katsuragi's apartment. I want you to observe and follow her. If you find the major…eliminate her as well. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Rei answered, her tone remaining even and normal. Closing the phone, she took a long look at it for a moment before making a decision: if she was going to disrupt the Commander's plans, she would need help. She grabbed up her bag and headed for the door, all while considering possible contingencies. Nothing would have to be overlooked if this was to work. _Nothing_.

* * *

The city was dark and silent, two things working in Rei's favor. She had quickly left her apartment and headed toward the building where Major Katsuragi's apartment was. As she carefully made her way nearby, she rounded a corner and could barely make out a black car parked in an alley across the way. The color was off, but it appeared to be the major's Alpine.

Giving a look around to see if anyone was watching her, Rei crossed the road and began inspecting the vehicle. 'Not Section Two,' she concluded. It was indeed the right model. Moving toward the trunk, she pulled a utility knife from her pack before shoving it hard into the lock. A couple of seconds later, it was open. She quietly pulled herself inside and pulled the trunk lid closed. 'This may not be the most efficient plan,' she thought, 'but it will take me where I need to go.' Quickly moving to the far end of the container, she waited for the driver to return.

Less than five minutes later, Rei heard hasty footsteps approaching the vehicle. She held her breath as the sounds of a back door being opened and something being thrown inside were heard, followed by the same door being closed and the driver-side door opening. As the engine started up, she released her breath. 'But the hard part is still to come,' she reminded herself. The ride was bumpy and long, over two hours, but it finally came to a stop.

Rei did not have time to check her surroundings, however, as the trunk opened and a pistol in the hand of Asuka Langley Sohryu was pointed in her direction. "We can make this easy," she began, clicking the safety off, "or we can make this _really_ easy." The blue-haired girl was not startled or surprised in the least. This was all a part of the plan, after all…but now would come the hard part she thought about. She raised her hands in surrender and slowly exited the vehicle.

Looking around, Rei could see that they were in the deep part of a forest at the end of a dead-end road. "I mean no harm," she told the other girl. "I came unarmed and with no one tracking us."

Asuka's expression was a mix between calm and angry. "You'll understand if I don't take you at your word, right?" she asked, reaching into her pocket and throwing the First Child a pair of flex-cuffs. "Put them on and we'll see how this goes."

Rei complied, placing her hands behind her in a show of trust. 'Although it may be dangerous to do so with Sohryu,' she considered.

As soon as the object was around the other girl's wrists, the redhead stepped forward and harshly pulled them taut, causing Rei to give a slight grunt in pain. "Oh, it's going to get a lot worse," Asuka warned. She spun the First Child around and began to pat her down for weapons…a little more rough than she needed to. As she finished, she spoke again. "You didn't do a very good job at hiding, you know."

"I know," Rei answered. "Given we have the same training, I knew that you would find me before long."

That seemed to puzzle Asuka somewhat. "Alright, you've got less than a minute to state your case and then I'll make it quick."

Rei took a deep breath, readying her words. "I need to speak with Major Katsuragi."

"I don't know if you noticed or not," Asuka replied, "but Misato's not exactly _with_ NERV anymore."

"I am well aware of the situation," Rei stated. "There is something I wish to share with her."

"And just would that be?" Asuka questioned, her tone almost amused.

Rei stood, keeping eye contact with Asuka. "Information. A portion of SEELE's archives, if I am correct."

Asuka seemed to consider the words for a moment. "You _do_ know I'm not really believing this, right?"

"If you were going to kill me," Rei said in an even tone, "then you would have done so already, likely no further from the city than you needed to be. But, regardless, I do not have time for this. I have to meet with her as soon as possible." She stared hard at the redhead. "Take me to her. If she decides that the information is not as told, then you have every right to end my life."

There was a long moment of silence as Asuka stared back at her with a look of contempt. "Fine…" she finally said. "But remember what you said, 'cause I'm going to hold you to that." She opened the passenger door and motioned for Rei to get in, which she did. The redhead then placed herself in the driver's seat and started the car again, pulling out of the detour she had made some time ago.

The remainder of the ride was a tense silence, neither person wanting to talk to the other. Rei focused on what she would be explaining when they arrived at their destination, while Asuka focused on driving…and trying not to shoot the person next to her and dump the body somewhere en route. Another nearly-half-hour later, they came up to a rock wall, where the former Second Child exited the car and walked up to the surface, sliding a card through a well-hidden spot in the wall. A portion of the surface slid up, the redhead reentering the car and pulling it forward. After the false door slid closed, she got out of the vehicle, went to the trunk to retrieve the First's pack, then went around to the other side to help her "guest" out. "Okay, remember what we agreed on."

Rei nodded and walked forward, her eyes moving around the room. 'It appears to be a pre-Impact fallout shelter,' she thought. 'Some of the technology is more recent, but the facility itself is quite old.'

As they approached the next set of doors, Asuka knocked loudly. "Open up in there, we've got company," she shouted.

One of the doors opened soon after, Misato Katsuragi appraising both of the recent arrivals. "Rei…" she said, but her tone gave away nothing about her mood. "Alright, get in here." Asuka nudged the other girl forward to a metal folding chair, where Rei took a seat and prepared herself. The redhead then placed the pack on the nearby table and sat down in another chair. "Where did you find her?" the older woman asked.

"In the trunk, if you can believe that," Asuka replied.

"I was not attempting to be completely unnoticed," Rei spoke up. "Only to those I did not wish to know about this meeting."

"You _wanted_ to be found?" Misato asked. Rei nodded. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Inside that bag is a flash drive," Rei began, her eyes darting to the object on the table for just a second. "On it is information I procured from Chairman Kiel, which I wish to share with you." Misato sat back, looking floored by that statement. "You may confirm what is on there," the younger girl continued. "If it is not of worth to you, I have already told Sohryu that I will not resist if she is to eliminate me."

"I'd rather she didn't," a male voice sounded behind her, "but a deal's a deal." Stepping around in front of her, Rei caught sight of Kaji Ryoji. "It's been a while, Ayanami."

"Agent Ryoji," Rei said, thinking over the recent reports on him in Kiel's archive. "Then that means that Ikari is…"

Kaji hung his head slightly. "Yeah…at least, I _think_ so," he said, shaking his head, "but I hope not."

Rei nodded slowly, realizing that the idea of Shinji possibly being dead saddened her. "As do I."

Kaji stepped over to the table and retrieved the flash drive, walked over to a small bank of computers along the wall and plugged it in to one of them. For a few moments, he kept his eyes on the screen, giving the information a cursory browsing. He waved Misato over next, the both of them keeping their gaze onscreen for a while longer. There's a nod shared between the older people in the room, then the former major walks back to the table, where she seats herself again. "Start from the beginning, then."

Rei took a deep breath and began to pour through what she knew, both before and after what she had seen on the flash drive. After every small chunk, Misato would look back at Kaji, who would confirm it. This went on and on for a few hours. When everything had been explained in full, the older woman leaned back heavily in her seat, the look on her face speaking louder than any word could. "Alright Rei, I'm going to cut you free. Okay?"

Rei nodded, watching her move around the table to behind the chair, where the older woman she procured a blade from her belt and cut the cuffs off. As the plastic came loose from her wrists, the younger girl rubbed them slightly, feeling the blood come rushing back to the previously-bound areas. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Misato walked back to her chair, taking her seat again. There was a long pause afterwards, three of the people in the room taking in the new information they'd been given. "So…it's the four of us against the commander," she finally spoke up again after a long time. "Now what?"

* * *

Asuka sat outside the main room of the shelter, having had enough of the discussion inside. She'd had enough secrets for one day. Actually, she'd had enough secrets for a lifetime. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that the talking had ended, but she _did_ notice when the door opened and Rei stepped outside, carrying her bag again. "I was unaware you were out here, Sohryu," she said.

"Yeah, that was kind of the point," Asuka mumbled, not even looking up at the other girl. "Everything finished in there?"

Rei nodded. "There is an idea being formed," she stated. "Nothing definitive as of yet, however. There are still a few details that will have to be given attention." Her gaze turned downward. "One of those being Ikari…"

"He's dead, you know," Asuka stated, her eyes forward and unfocused.

"I do not believe so," Rei retorted. Seeing Asuka's puzzled look, she continued. "He has lived through much worse and still remained unchanged, so I think he may be alive."

Asuka snorted audibly, looking forward again. "I think the baka's luck may have finally run out this time."

"I have…faith in him. He is a…survivor. Yes, that seems to be the correct word." Rei paused, then said the rest softer. "Not unlike myself." She watched the redhead for a moment longer. Something about her visibly-defeated posture made the blue-haired girl wish to reach out. 'It is what _he_ would have done,' she thought. She took a seat on the other side of the door, also keeping her vision elsewhere but the other person in the room.

Everything in the room was silent again for a minute or two before Asuka felt, rather than saw, Rei still in the room. "Something I can help you with, doll?" she practically spat.

There was a long, quiet beat before Rei spoke up. "I have heard you refer to me as that before," she began, not looking at Asuka, "but only now do I understand _why_." Now her attention turned to her former fellow pilot. "The records Kiel kept detailed everything about NERV personnel. Even things not in NERV's database." She turned her eyes back to the far wall. "You call me a doll, but not just because of my demeanor. I remind you of that particular doll, do I no-"

Rei didn't finish the rest as Asuka stood and hauled her roughly to her feet and against the wall. "You listen and you listen well, _doll_," she spoke quietly but with an anger that could be felt. "Whatever you read in there, you'd better just forget it. And if I _hear_ you refer to…that…again, I _will_ very likely end you. Understand?"

"I understand that you are angry with me," Rei answered, her eyes just slightly narrowing. "But whatever animosity you have felt towards me, at any time now or past, is unfounded. I have done nothing to earn this manner of treatment from you."

"What gives you the right to tell _me_ how I can or can't treat you?" Asuka questioned. "You're not even completely human, just a fucking _construct_!"

Rei placed her hands over Asuka's, who was still gripping onto her shirt. "But I am still partially human all the same," she said quietly. "And if we are to succeed with this endeavor, we will have to work together. I do not think this kind of ill will is going to help with that."

Asuka stared into Rei's eyes for a moment, deciding if it was worth risking their survival to kill her. Finally, she released her grip on the First Child. "Misato and Kaji wouldn't like it if we were to lose our source inside NERV," she spoke softly, but there was still a trace of anger there. "So you thank _them_ for that choice, not me."

Rei let out a sigh, glad the redhead had not taken her feelings to a violent conclusion. "I do understand to some extent, you realize."

"Huh?" Asuka said, looking at the other girl again. "And just what do you-"

"The loss of purpose," Rei explained, walking towards the other side of the room. "Your purpose has been to pilot Eva. Above all things, that is why you _believe_ you exist." She looked back at the Second Child. "That was not a question, it was a statement." She cast her gaze down at the floor. "There are only two reasons I _truly_ exist: to pilot Eva…and to be a catalyst for Instrumentality. Not what I _believe_, the actual _why_ of my life. And I have chosen to abandon both of them. I have willingly decided to turn my back on the man who raised me as his own." She looked up at Asuka again. "I feel…lost. Unsure of what the future holds or where it will lead me. I lived my life prepared for the end of all things." She paused, sighing. "In that sense, I believe we can relate."

Asuka had been quiet throughout Rei's words, never having _thought_ that she was capable of that kind of reasoning. "…maybe, but only _just_ maybe," she quietly admitted, just loud enough for the other person to hear. "But don't think that makes us friends of some kind, because we aren't."

"I am aware of that," Rei said, picking up her bag again and continuing toward the door outside. "I have one last thing to say, a request," she spoke as she reached the door, turning back to Asuka. "When Ikari returns-"

"_If_ he returns, you mean," Asuka said, her tone a bit sad.

Rei shook her head. "No, when," she insisted. "I wish for you to treat him better than you have in the past." Seeing Asuka's strange look, she continued. "I have never known him to show anything except kindness to you, and you have…not returned that. That is no way to behave to a comrade-in-arms."

"What kind of a request is _that_?" Asuka asked. "And why do _you_ care so much?"

"Because he is…my friend," Rei stated, the word 'friend' causing a small warmth in her chest. "We have a bond, much like I had with Commander Ikari. I only want him to be at peace." She opened the sliding door back to the outside. "And you are important to him. _That_ is why I ask."

Asuka was quiet for a moment, mulling over Rei's strange request. "I won't make any promises," she finally replied. "But…we'll see."

"That will be enough," Rei said, stepping out into the night air. She walked for nearly an hour, making certain to be a long distance away from the shelter. Quickly retrieving her phone from her pack, she placed a call to Commander Ikari.

"I had been wondering when you would report in," Gendo said. "Did you locate the Second?"

"I did, sir," Rei began. "I placed a tracer on the vehicle and waited for it to leave the city. Unfortunately, it appears she found the device at some point and placed it deep into the countryside, removing me from her trail. I am deeply sorry."

"It does not matter," Gendo reassured her. "We shall acquire them all in time. Just get to headquarters."

"Yes sir," Rei said, hanging up the phone. She stared at it in her hand for a moment longer. 'I…lied to him,' she thought, never having done that before now. It was…not nearly as difficult as she believed it to be. She resumed her trip back to Tokyo-3 soon after, knowing it would more than likely take until well into the next morning.

* * *

Ritsuko Akagi sat at her computer, just idly reviewing things she'd been sent by Commander Ikari. Even after he handed her willingly over to SEELE, he still had a use for her. Mostly making certain there were no outside intrusions into the MAGI. But with the Committee dead, it wasn't something she considered very likely. 'Not even any activity from the other MAGI,' she thought, eyeing the readouts from the other NERV branches. Indeed, it seemed that _this_ location was the only one still noticeably active.

The sound of the door to her office opening drew Ritsuko's attention to it, Rei stepping inside right after. "Oh, it's just _you_," she said in a bitter tone. 'Can't even check on me yourself, Gendo?' she thought, still hating herself for ever trusting him. At least he wasn't _physically_ monitoring her office, audio or video: she had made sure of that some time ago. 'Keeping track of me electronically is one thing,' she mused, eyes back on her computer screen, 'but you're not going to keep watch over me twenty-four-seven.'

"Doctor Akagi," Rei spoke slightly louder than normal, getting the older woman's attention. She reached into her uniform pocket and retrieved an envelope. "It is 'from a couple of old friends', I was told to tell you." She placed the item on the doctor's desk before nodding and exiting just as quickly as she entered.

Ritsuko blinked several times, the whole exchange she had just been a part of giving her a sense of unease. She slowly reached out and picked up the envelope, opening it and removing its contents. A small, black piece of plastic that looked like an earbud and a folded piece of paper. She unfolded the paper and began reading.

_Look Rits, I know there's been some hard feelings between us in the last few months, a lot of secrets and mistrust and bullshit like that. But we've been friends for a long time and I'll be damned if I let it end like that. I want to help you…and, honestly, we're going to need your help. We know what the Commander is planning to do and we're going to try and put an end to it. Rei's aiding us, so at least you have someone there to rely on. I think she's changed…maybe for the better. For now, we're still working out a few kinks and waiting to see if Shinji is…still alive. God, I hope so. But we'll keep in touch, I promise._

At the bottom of the page was two letters, an 'M' and a 'K'. Ritsuko could feel a slight watering at the edges of her eyes, which she wiped away. "I'm still your friend, am I?" she thought aloud. She knew Misato had survived Asuka's "activation", but she never considered that her long-time friend would reach out again. 'I thought that was all in the past,' she mentally noted, remembering the many arguments and revelations they had been a part of in the last year. 'Okay, then…let's take this bastard's dream apart,' she thought with a smile, pocketing the earbud quickly before placing the note in her ashtray and lighting one end of it. She would have to contact them soon, already having a vague idea for how to infiltrate the Geofront unseen.

* * *

'He has been located in Tokyo-3.'

Ten days had passed since Rei's "meeting" with Doctor Akagi. Since then, she had kept in contact with both Ritsuko and the others, seeing the plan slowly form and take shape. She also had kept watch on the Fifth Child, the sensation she felt around him finally registering. 'He is the last one,' she told herself. 'I can _feel_ it.' She wasn't sure how he would be fought, with only one working Eva and no one to pilot it. 'I may have to, if need be,' she concluded. But that wasn't the most prudent idea: she still had no clue _how_ to use her own AT field…if she could at all. 'There may not be enough of Lilith's DNA in myself to allow for that.'

But for now, the more pressing thought had been that Shinji had been discovered, alive, entering Tokyo-3. The Commander had ordered her to collect him from where he was most likely heading, Major Katsuragi's apartment. As she reached the surface and out onto the city streets, she placed her earpiece in its place and pressed the button on the side. "Ayanami reporting in."

"Sorry, First. I'm the only one awake here," Asuka's voice answered.

"He is alive, Sohryu," Rei said.

"Wait…what?" Asuka questioned, her tone changing to something Rei couldn't place. "Are you _sure_?"

"Yes. Section Two has reported that he entered the city limits of Tokyo-3 less than thirty minutes ago," Rei explained. "He will most likely head to Major Katsuragi's apartment."

There was the sound of rustling and someone moving quickly. "Yeah, that would be just like him to go home."

"You are going to acquire him?" Rei asked, crossing silent streets and alleys. "Section Two is out, which mean that-"

"We're going to have to make it look good," Asuka cut her off. "Can't have them think you're on _our_ side, now can we?"

"Indeed," Rei agreed. "I will not hold back, however."

"I know," Asuka said. "Neither will I."

As Rei reached her vantage point near the apartment building, she spoke up again. "It will likely still be a couple of hours until he arrives. Will you make it in time?"

"Trust me," Asuka replied, the sound of her voice being partially drowned out by engine noise. "This thing can go faster than it looks. I'll make it in under an hour if I'm right."

"Remember what I said, Sohryu," Rei said. "Treat him better, more as he would treat you."

"I told you already, no promises," Asuka tersely replied before the line cut, a sign that the redhead had turned their connection off.

Rei returned her attention to the building, keeping her eyes moving to every entrance and angle from street level. After another two hours, she saw the thin frame of the Third Child walk up and look at the building before entering. She felt herself tense up, ready to do what she had to. She did not, however, like the fact that she would likely have to try and harm him. 'But there will be others watching us, it cannot be avoided,' she thought, seeing a black SUV pull up quietly to the apartments. Two agents walked inside, the rest remaining in the vehicle.

Rei took a deep breath and walked out across the street, nodding to the agents before entering the building. As moved higher up the staircase, she heard shots coming from above. Feeling a slight sensation of worry, she moved continued moving fast but quietly up until she came to the floor that held Misato's apartment. As she reached the door, she heard another set of shots, only a few this time. She walked up to the slightly-ajar door, seeing him inside standing over the two downed agents. He was saying something to himself, but she could not make out what.

As Shinji began to approach the door, Rei took a deep breath and hoped he would forgive her for what was about to happen.

**-To be continued…-**

**A/N:** Already off to a pretty good start, eh? For a guy who writes almost exclusively A/S, I'm rather surprised how Rei-centric this whole saga ended up (even prior to _this_ story). And, of course, you now see how some of the events in **IDENTITY** were set up prior to its beginning. I personally liked how the 'tense-but-almost-friendly' talks between the girls turned out (thanks to Ash's direction on those, especially the second one).

Expect the next chapter to jump forward a bit in the timeline (between the next-to-last scene of **IDENTITY** chapter 3 and the beginning of **SUPREMACY** chapter 1) and to contain yet more suspense and drama…and yes, I'll get back to the actions scenes there. Not to mention a rather…interesting appearance by a certain character. I don't think _any_ of you are going to see this one coming.

Time to do that song-to-scene thing again. Hey, I did it for the other parts, you think I wouldn't here? For the first meeting between Rei and Kaworu, find and listen to _Face To Face_ by **Siouxsie And The Banshees** (which is one of Ash's favorite bands…an example of that being that she's going to be Siouxsie Sioux for Halloween this year). For the talk between Rei and Asuka (the second one), find and listen to _Walking In My Shoes_ by **Depeche Mode** (which is, surprisingly, a band that I've always had an affinity for; synth-pop and me are good friends).

Okay…there's going to be an omake, but we're going to save it for the last chapter (just like the last two parts of this saga). Let the anticipation build, y'know?

Pre-read was done by Ash. Thank you kindly, ma'am.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

**-AngelNo13Bardiel-**


	2. Always Closer to the Flame

See Chapter 1 for disclaimer. This chapter takes place between the next-to-last scene of **THE IKARI IDENTITY** chapter 3 and the beginning of **THE IKARI SUPREMACY** chapter 1, just so nobody gets confused on the timing and whatnot.

**-THE AYANAMI SANCTIONS-**

Chapter 2: Always Closer to the Flame, Ever Closer to the Blade

The air was still and quiet, but it was hardly a peaceful night for one of the last people left in Tokyo-3. Rei rolled over in her bed, unable to sleep. It had been six days since the raid on NERV, six days since Commander Ikari's death. Although free of her particular kind of "confinement", she still felt lost regardless.

So Rei simply went back to living her life as she always had…but now making certain to keep alert for anything happening in Tokyo-3. She did not know why this thought came to her: the commander and SEELE were dead, after all. She had heard this referred to as a 'gut feeling' and that was an apt analogy: the feeling _did_ seem to come from the very pit of her stomach. 'Instinct,' she mentally noted. 'That is what this feels like.' She didn't understand what would make her feel it, she only acknowledged that she _did_ experience it.

Rei looked over at the wall clock, displaying five-forty-eight in the morning. While not a restful night, it had still been long enough. She slowly stood from her bed, clothed in nothing at all, and walked to the bathroom. She had laid out a school uniform the night before, a habit well-in-place. Before entering the room, she looked at a glass cup placed on top of the handle to the front door. It had also been put there the night before, a remnant of her training: if someone were to enter, the breaking glass would alert her at once. She had kept this up since returning to her apartment nearly a week ago, never feeling that it was unnecessary. 'It is simply a precaution,' she told herself, turning on the hot water.

After waiting for it to heat up, Rei stepped under the spray of water, feeling it envelop and calm her. She thought of the others, still inside the shelter and waiting to see if the danger had passed. She had kept in contact with them via earpiece intermittently since the raid, checking in regularly for updates. Nothing seemed to be happening in the city, so it was always a quick call. Shinji…he had not returned afterwards. She knew he would want solitude for the time being, his thoughts likely unclear and melancholy. 'He will endure…he always has,' she thought. 'But I hope he finds peace.' She closed her eyes and turned her head up toward the ceiling, letting the warm water run down her face.

Rei was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of breaking glass, her mind focusing in an instant. As hurried movement was heard from the front room, she quickly sprang from the shower and against the wall near the door, ready to meet the intruder head-on. Less than two seconds later, the bathroom door burst open and a burst of gunfire was directed at the still-running shower. When the sound died down, she moved quickly against the door (which had opened inward towards her) and ran her full weight on the person on the other side, nearly being hit by something they threw. She tumbled against them hard, taking a quick glance back to reveal that it was a flash bang grenade that had been tossed. Moving with purpose, she reached out and shut the door, the sound on the other side being deafened somewhat.

The intruder got to his feet quickly, raising a submachine gun in Rei's direction. She wasted no time, taking hold of the weapon with one hand and moving it upward while delivering a solid elbow to the man's nose. Another three-round burst issued from the gun as she felt his nose bone give under her arm. While he grunted in pain, she quickly wrested the gun from his grasp and tossed it across the room before taking a tight grip on his left arm and bringing it around behind his back, her leg sweeping his out from under him. She sat on her would-be attacker's back, pulling the arm further up.

"Who are you?" Rei ordered, water still dripping from her hair. "Who sent you?"

"I don't have to tell you a thing," the man answered. His accent was heavy, Eastern European…but she couldn't place where exactly.

"You would do well to," Rei threatened. "It does not take much more than this to break a human arm. I think it would be wise on your part to tell me."

The man laughed, blood pouring out of his nostrils. "You're already dead, you just don't know it yet. All of you are."

That sent a small jolt of fear down Rei's spine. 'Who would still be looking for us?' she thought. Nobody planning Instrumentality was around to send anyone their way. At this point, she took notice of his attire, a black suit not unlike those worn by Section Two agents…but something about this man said otherwise. "You are not with NERV. Who do you work for?"

"I'll tell you _nothing_!" the man shouted defiantly, taking advantage of the short opening Rei's confusion had afforded him. Managing to get to his feet, he grabbed onto her neck and began squeezing. He was certainly strong, she could feel the fuzziness at the edge of her vision beginning to creep in. 'I did not want to do this,' she thought, 'but you have forced my hand.' Quickly placing her forearms around in front of his throat and at the back of his head, she gripped onto it in opposing directions…and snapped his neck in one fluid motion.

The man slumped dead to the floor, eyes open in shock. Rei knelt down, coughing and breathing heavily. She placed a hand on her throat, already feeling the bruises that would be forming eventually. While she had survived this encounter, she had no answers…and no one to give them to her. 'I will have to do this another way,' she said, turning off the shower before moving to the body. 'It would not be unwise to assure a professional killer,' she thought, finding additional clips and another flash-bang grenade in his jacket pockets. This was more apparent as she searched through his pockets, finding several identification cards, each of them bearing a different name.

One of the cards stood out to Rei: a plain white keycard with the word _Treadstone_ in large print, the personal information on it in Cyrillic characters…and a familiar logo on its corner. 'The seven eyes of God,' she realized, remembering SEELE's insignia. She didn't know what it meant, but she knew who would. Moving to her uniform, she removed the earpiece from a pocket and put it in place. "Ayanami reporting in."

There was a long wait before someone came on the line. "Sorry Rei," Misato's voice came over the line, yawning and sounding groggy. "It's still kind of early, couldn't you have wai-"

"Major, I need to speak to Agent Ryoji at once," Rei interrupted.

"Uh…okay," Misato said, sounding worried. "Is something wrong?"

"I do not know yet," Rei answered truthfully.

"O…okay, give me a sec," Misato replied. There was another long pause before the line reconnected. "Alright, go on," Kaji's voice spoke up, sounding no more awake.

"Does the name 'Treadstone' mean anything to you?" Rei asked, turning the card in her hand again.

"Treadstone?" Kaji repeated. "Ah…let's see…" There was silence as he thought. "Oh, right, Marduk. It's one of the hundred-and-eight dummy fronts SEELE was using for that."

"Do you know what it was involved in?" Rei continued.

"Information storage and brokering, I think," Kaji said. "Think of them as an in-between third party for info exchanges."

"I see…" Rei mused. "Do you know where is it located?"

"It has a few different branches," Kaji explained, "but the main one was in Russia, St. Petersburg to be exact. Why are you asking?"

Rei paused for a moment before answering. "I am checking into some unfinished leads. It may be nothing, but I will investigate all the same. I may be offline for some time, so do not worry."

"Well…okay then, Rei," Kaji said. "I'll make sure to tell the others, but you make sure to stay safe and alive. Agent Ryoji signing out."

Rei removed the device from her ear, looking at the card once more. She decided that the others shouldn't be told until she knew something for certain. 'It would not be a good idea to panic them,' she thought, 'at least not without something more tangible.' She walked over to her uniform and quickly changed into it before grabbing her bag, placing the earpiece inside along with the white card and flash-bang she took from her assailant. She mentally noted to stop by the VTOL on the edge of town to gather supplies before leaving the country. She stepped out of the door and into the early morning, a sense of purpose in her walk.

* * *

Well into the following day, Rei managed to reach the western coast of Japan and stow away aboard a container ship bound for Russia, then spent the next ten days crossing the continent using any available means: cargo train cars, semi-truck trailers, and plenty of time on foot. All the while, she continued thinking on who would have sent someone to kill her…and possibly the others as well. She still had no definitive answers, only what she could speculate. None of them were anything but grim prospects, though.

Finally, she reached the outskirts of St. Petersburg. Before entering the city proper, she took a moment to prepare herself appearance-wise with a long brunette wig and brown contacts she had packed before leaving Japan. Her clothes consisted of a plain pair of jeans and a black shirt with a heavy coat over that, so combined with her hair and eye changes, she felt incognito enough to walk about publicly. She sighed, slinging the bag over her right shoulder and moving forward.

As she walked, Rei looked for the address she had asked Kaji for when she had reached the VTOL several days previous. She found the building near the end of the day, a very nondescript structure that looked more like apartments than an information storehouse. She moved to the building across the street from it and quietly maneuvered up the fire escape, reaching the roof soon after. As she looked across the skyline of the city, she kept her focus on the Treadstone facility.

Two days of surveillance and reconnaissance followed, Rei not moving from her rooftop. She watched the workers come and go, most of them dressed in plain black suits like her intruder had been wearing. The white card she had taken off of him was likely an access card, but there was still the matter of potential passcodes and other security measures. She had not, to her knowledge, been trained in electronic countermeasures. As she watched one of the people leave the building, a man in his mid-twenties with short black hair, she realized that help would be needed to quietly enter the facility. She moved toward the fire escape and quickly reached street level, heading to where she knew the person she had been watching was going.

* * *

The man Rei had been watching was unaware of his tail, only thinking about getting to his car. He reached the vehicle, unlocked it and sat down inside…only to have something jammed into the back of his head. "Do not move," Rei's voice came from behind him. "Stay silent for now and move the car outside of the city." He nodded hesitantly, hoping he wasn't about to get carjacked…or worse.

Fifteen minutes later, the worker pulled into a wooded area near the edge of St. Petersburg and turned the car off. He took a slow, unsteady breath before speaking. "Look…you can have the car, my money…just don't kill me."

"I am not interested in your possessions," Rei said. "I need intel."

"Huh? What?" the man asked, attempting to turn around but being dissuaded by the pressing of something that felt like a gun barrel into his neck. "Okay, okay…I get it. Who are you?"

"That is of little matter to you," Rei answered. "What is your name?"

"R…Reid," the man replied, a little scared.

"Very well, Reid," Rei explained, "I need access to the place where you work. I can enter it with or without your assistance, but it would be far easier with your compliance." She paused for a second. "You should be aware, however, that choosing _not_ to help will most likely lead to your demise. Understood?"

Reid nodded. "Fine…I'll tell you whatever you want," he said, still breathing nervously. "They don't pay me enough for that kind of risk, I just catalog the data."

"This keycard," Rei began, holding up the white card to the side of his head with her other hand. "Where will it allow me to access?"

Reid took a glance at the card and recognized the name, he had left the country more than two weeks ago on some kind of "special assignment". 'Oh my God…just what am I involved in?' he mentally asked himself. "That should get you everywhere except the high-clearance area. That's code-locked."

"Are you permitted to know that code?" Rei questioned.

Reid nodded. "Seven-five-four-zero," he replied, swallowing heavily. "Listen…I helped, right? Does that mean you're going to…kill me after all?"

Rei considered his request for a moment. He was of little threat to her, and he _had_ provided answers during this 'interrogation'. "No," she said, removing the flashlight she had used as a gun barrel stand-in from the back of his head. "But when you come to, I would suggest you disappear. Things may become…messy." Reid didn't have time to respond, as she took the object and hit him across the back of the head with it, causing him to slump over into the passenger seat.

Rei left the back seat and moved around the car to check on her captive. 'Good, he is not dead,' she thought, finding a pulse on his neck before using a pair of flex-cuffs to secure him to the steering wheel. 'That will ensure one less interference,' she concluded, walking away from the vehicle and back to the Treadstone building.

* * *

That night, Rei quietly slipped across the street from where she had been observing and alongside the structure she would need to be entering. On one side of the building was a fire escape, which she scaled while avoiding getting too close to the windows. There was no sentry on the roof, so reaching the access door downstairs was a simple matter. Sliding the white card in the reader nearby, she quietly closed the door behind her and crept down the stairs and into the facility proper.

The inside was very plain, looking much like it did outside: a converted apartment building. Rei slipped along the hallways, looking at the doors for some kind of indicator of where would be ideal to start her search. After moving down another flight of stairs, she heard footsteps approaching, which she narrowly avoided by slipping back into the stairwell. When they passed, she walked back out into the hall and looked to the left. One of the doors had a keypad above the handle, which seemed like the likely place given the code she had coerced out of Reid. She edged over to it, input 'seven-five-four-zero' and waited for something to happen.

The door gave a soft 'click' sound and a green light came on, indicating it had unlocked. Rei moved inside quickly, shutting it behind her. Taking a look around the room, it looked to be another office. Her eyes moved to the computer on the desk. She moved toward the keyboard, checking to see if it was locked…which, unfortunately, it was. 'Oh no,' she thought, weighing her options about how to proceed. 'I suppose…a direct approach will have to suffice,' she decided, emptying her bag of many of its contents (including her would-be assassin's submachine gun) before unplugging the computer tower and placing it inside.

As soon as Rei had gotten it in the bag, a beeping sounded in the office, most likely the alarm. 'That was faster than I had anticipated,' she thought, shouldering the pack and looking around the room for a temporary non-lethal weapon. Eyeing a pair of scissors on the desk, she quickly picked them up and used the edge of the desk to break them into two blades. Not more than a few seconds later, the sound of hurried footsteps came to the door and someone attempted to enter the office. She readied herself on the side of the door, waiting for them to break in.

As the door swung inward, the barrel of a snub-nose revolver whipped around the room in several directions before Rei took one half of the scissors and swiped at the guard's upper arm, causing him to discharge a round before dropping the pistol. She used the opportunity to shove his head hard into the doorframe, knocking the man out cold. As she picked up the revolver, another guard approached down the hall. She took two fast shots, hitting him in the left leg both times. Not wanting to waste any more time, she bolted down the hall to avoid being shot by the gun the other man had pulled. She heard a shot ring behind her as she reached a window and dove through, finding herself outside again.

Rei took only a second to realign her heading, heading down the fire escape she was on before leaping to the ground from the third floor. Landing on her feet, she quickly sprinted off and heard three more shots behind her, all of them going wide. She ducked down an alley, not stopping to look behind her. If her instincts were correct, the information she was carrying could be _very_ important…to both her and the others back in Japan. Her pace picked up at that thought, wishing to get back and review the computer as soon as humanly possible.

* * *

Less than an hour later, a phone rang in an ornate office, which the older bearded man sitting behind at the desk in the center of the room answered. "Is there something amiss?" SEELE-0 said in a thick Russian accent.

"Sir…" the voice on the other end hesitated for a moment. "There's been a break-in at Treadstone."

Zero fell silent for a moment. "That is…unfortunate," he said. "Do we know who the intruder was?"

"We do, sir," the voice said. "It was the First Child."

Zero frowned deeply. An infiltration of Treadstone was a setback, but not an insurmountable one given its relative lack of security: its anonymity had been enough to prevent it from being a target in the past. But the First could be a far more serious concern. She was capable of hindering his plans as long as she lived. "What did she access?"

"Um…" the voice hesitated again. "Sir…she took a computer from one of the secure offices. She has access to _everything_ we have here."

Now it was Zero's turn to fall silent. "Then we shall have to accelerate the project timetable," he finally said. "Order the purge for the Moscow branch and destroy _everything_ at Treadstone. I'll be moving to a more secure location soon."

"What should be done about the First, sir?" the voice asked.

Zero considered the question for a time, thinking about what assets were available to him. "Send word to Shizuku."

"Are you sure, sir? We're not even sure she's still-"

"She is still where we left her," Zero interrupted. "I have kept tabs on her, just in case…and she will have to suffice for the moment. Send her after Ayanami. Eliminate the First, then find and observe the Second and Third Children." He placed the phone back on its cradle, his mind focused on the overall plan. 'Instrumentality can still occur,' he thought. 'Indeed, all is not lost.'

* * *

The girl designated 'Shizuku' looked out the window at the neon nightmare that was Hong Kong. Boredom had become a regular feeling for her in the last few months. The Committee had placed her at this safehouse, keeping her supplied enough to not need to leave. She spent her days working out in the room downstairs, practicing her hand-to-hand skills on the training dummies. But boredom had still set in regardless. She had been recruited by them for her skillset, which they had augmented, but it all went to waste here in this sort-of limbo.

A beeping nearby brought her attention to the phone on the end table. She had been ordered to keep it charged at all times, in case they needed her. She had become used to it being silent, but now it showed a call from a secure line. She picked it up, flipping it open. "Shizuku, report in," a voice on the other end said.

"This is Shizuku," she replied. "What are my orders?"

"Sending the data pack as we speak. Don't let us down," the voice answered, the line cutting off afterwards. She received the information as told a few seconds later, scrolling through the orders she'd been given. She felt hesitant for a moment, never having been ordered to kill another person before. But orders were orders…and they would not pause in the slightest in their decision to eliminate her if she declined.

Giving herself a glance in the mirror, her green eyes hardened a bit. "You can do this," she told herself, heading for the stairs to gather what she would need for her assignment.

* * *

Rei had managed to avoid detection again since leaving St. Petersburg nearly ten days prior. She kept to more wilderness-heavy areas, uncertain if they had followed her this far. She glanced down at the GPS in her hand, showing less than twenty more miles until the coastline. 'I can still arrive within the day,' she thought, feeling the six inches of snow underfoot crunch beneath her as she continued walking. It had begun snowing lightly the night before, which did obscure her vision somewhat.

Stopping for a moment to rest, Rei took in her surroundings. She sat on a rock near the edge of a clearing, the forest's density not allowing her a further view. The sound of movement through the snow some distance away drew her attention back. She hid partially behind the stone, only about three feet tall and around five feet wide. She reached into her pocket and produced the revolver she had taken from the Treadstone worker. 'Three shots remain,' she reminded herself. 'I will have to ensure they find their mark.'

There was the sound of metal and plastic components clicking, which Rei immediately recognized as a firearm being readied. She fully ducked behind the rock just as a burst caught the stone and shattered the silence. She took a fast peek around her cover to look for her attacker, but with the snow falling, she could only just make out something moving between the trees nearly seventy yards ahead. She jerked her head back behind cover just as another several rounds were directed at her. During that, she focused on what direction she could hear the bullets coming from. As it ended, she popped out and took quick aim in the direction, but was chased behind the rock by another burst coming from the left of where she had honed in.

Edging back along the stone to where she would be fully concealed, Rei understood that her position was not advantageous to surviving this attack. 'I will need to think quickly,' she noted, trying to come up with a good plan. She took a mental inventory of what she knew she was carrying. She had discarded the submachine gun she brought in favor of the computer tower, so that left her with only three bullets. 'Wait…there was _that_,' she thought, reaching into the pack and producing the flash-bang grenade she had taken more than two weeks ago. 'Only one, however,' she concluded. 'I will have to time this carefully.'

Rei made a crouching beeline from the rock to a thick tree nearby, only just barely making it before another hail of rounds exploded into the sides of the wood. She took a deep breath and repeated her actions, heading for another tree further up. This time, only two bullets impacted the surface before all was silent. 'Reloading, most likely,' Rei reasoned. 'There will be no more ideal time.' She pulled the pin on the device and threw it in the direction the last shots came from, putting her hands over her ears a few seconds later to avoid its disorienting effects. Just as the flash ended, she removed her hands from her ears and caught the sound of a shout. She wasted no time in zeroing in on the sound's point of origin and delivered two shots of her own, a cry of pain in a feminine voice being what was heard.

Rei ducked back around the tree, breathing heavily and waiting for further movement. Thirty seconds passed with nothing, so she decided to carefully edge out from behind her cover. Keeping the revolver at the ready, she slowly moved to where she had heard those last sounds. There, lying in the snow, was a girl no older than the First Child. Japanese, with short brown hair and wearing a white uniform for winter concealment. Her weapon, an SG550 rifle, was nearby, the clip she had been trying to load never making it in. Her eyes were closed, but the blue-haired girl knew she was still alive by the rise and fall of her chest. 'Her breathing is uneven,' she thought. 'She is very likely to go into shock soon.'

Something about the girl's face sparked recognition in Rei's mind. 'I have seen her before,' she remembered. 'Yes…she was listed in SEELE's records.' That gave a pretty good indicator of _who_ may have sent this girl, but that was impossible. 'They are all dead,' the First Child thought. 'But there _must_ be a reasonable explanation.' She glanced down at the two spots where her bullets hit, on the girl's left shoulder and upper arm. 'I missed the vital areas,' she noted, 'but she will still die if unattended.' For a moment, she considered leaving her attacker to her fate…but something in the back of her mind urged her not to. 'She was only following orders…much like I was.'

Looking about, Rei could just barely make out something that appeared to be a hole in the distance. She ran forward, the hole slowly coming into focus as a shallow cave in a hillside about a hundred yards away. She ran back to the injured girl and began making makeshift bandaging from her own coat. Within a few minutes, the First Child had the other girl's wounds dressed well enough to move her, so she lifted the girl up over her shoulder and towards the cave entrance. 'I will need her to answer my questions…if she survives.'

* * *

Rei poked at the fire, throwing another chunk of dry wood into it. Several hours had passed, during which the snow began to fall harder. The sun was beginning to set, which further dropped the temperature. She gave a quick look at her 'guest', still alive and resting. The First Child had stabilized and stitched up the girl's wounds, removing the bullets from her and redressing her jury-rigged bandages. She had been unconscious since, her breathing finally evening out soon after the 'operation'.

A pair of green eyes slowly opened about ten minutes later, looking up at an earthen ceiling. "Ugh…where the hell…" the girl said, attempting to sit up. She gasped in pain as she did so, not getting more than a few inches off the cave floor.

"I would not move if I were you," Rei spoke up, startling the other girl. "You have lost a good amount of blood."

"Y-you…" the girl tried to say, finally managing to get herself upright. "You saved me?"

Rei nodded. "Indeed. Your injuries have also been taken care of."

The girl looked down at herself, realizing that she had been undressed and redressed while she was unaware. There was a slight redness that came over her cheeks. "Th…thanks," she said softly.

"There is no need," Rei addressed her. "But you would do well to not resume your earlier actions," she warned, reaching over to place the revolver in her lap, its barrel pointed at the other girl. "Do you understand?"

The girl laughed, grimacing as it caused her pain. "I don't think I'm in any kind of shape to fight back," she answered. There was a pause as her expression changed to one of surprise. "But I don't get it…why did you help me?"

"Because you are not my enemy," Rei answered, looking over at her. "Do you even know _why_ you were sent to kill me?" The girl shook her head. "I see…you are simply a soldier following orders, then. What is your name?"

"Shizuku."

Rei shook her head. "No codes," she said. "Your birth name."

The other girl fell silent for a few seconds. "…Kirishima," she finally replied. "Mana Kirishima."

"Kirishima…yes, that was it," Rei thought aloud. Upon seeing Mana's puzzled look, she explained. "You are catalogued within SEELE's records. I did not read your file in full, only a cursory browsing."

"Then you know _enough_ of the story," Mana told her. "I was originally with an organization called TRIDENT. You ever hear of them?"

"The name was also mentioned, but only in the vaguest terms," Rei answered.

"I guess you could say we were a bit like the Jet Alone project," Mana began, "another company looking to cut into the government's funding of NERV, build our own anti-Angel weapon system, get some of the glory." She fell silent for a moment. "Well, we were a bit _more_ than that." She directed her stare at a far corner of the cave, away from Rei. "I was its pilot…and an infiltration specialist."

"You mean that you were a spy," Rei stated.

"More or less, yeah," Mana confirmed. "I was to attend the middle school in Tokyo-3, gather information on the pilots, use them to access confidential NERV information and return it to TRIDENT." She sighed heavily. "Four months before the operation was to start, the Committee 'acquired' the organization…which I'm pretty sure meant that at least a few people had to be killed…and put a permanent end to the project. And that left all of us working there pretty much screwed."

"SEELE themselves took an interest in TRIDENT?" Rei questioned.

Mana nodded. "I guess they figured it was going to bite someone on their payroll in the ass before it was over, so they just preempted the whole thing by closing us down," she explained. "However, given what I had _also_ been trained for, they saw some use for me."

"You mean as an operative, correct?" Rei guessed.

"More like pawn, really," Mana replied. "They don't call them 'deniable assets' without a good reason. I was never trained for combat, minus a little time on the firing range, so they used me strictly for infiltration at first. Nothing taxing, just a little 'go here, access this, get out quickly'. Between those assignments came the actual combat training, then they parked me in a safehouse in Hong Kong almost five months ago. I was told they'd call me when needed. And the one time they finally did…" she paused, opening her arms wide. "Well, just look how it turned out. Heh, some soldier I turned out to be, right?"

"You _are_ alive," Rei stated.

"_Touche_," Mana said with a laugh. "Anyway, that's pretty much the long-and-short of it."

"I see…and I appreciate your honesty," Rei told her. "Unfortunately, that does not explain _who_ sent you."

"Huh?" Mana asked. "What are you talking about? The Committee gave me my orders."

Rei shook her head. "They have been dead for some time. I know because three of them were eliminated by my own hand," she explained. "And I know who killed the rest, he was not one to make mistakes. You said yourself that you had no contact with them for a very long period of time, correct?"

"They're…dead?" Mana questioned, which Rei confirmed with a nod. "But…but that doesn't make sense, the only people who knew the number I was contacted at _were_ SEELE. It's a coded-in, encrypted line."

Rei fell silent for a while. 'Could one of Nagisa's targets have survived?' she asked herself. Looking over at her bag, it was more important than ever to get the computer back to the others and access the information on it. "What were you to do when you had completed your assignment?"

"You weren't the only thing on the agenda," Mana replied. "I was to code in and await transport to Japan, then locate the Second and Third Children. Apparently, they're also priority targets."

Rei's head snapped up at the mention of Shinji and Asuka. "No…" she spoke quietly. "Then they _are_ most likely connected to SEELE in some way…" Her mind focus quickly, already forming a plan. "You mentioned transport. What manner?"

"Heli pick-up," Mana answered. "That's kind of why I chose that clearing for the…umm, the ambush. I knew you'd be reaching it before long, given where you were headed…" she trailed off, hanging her head. "Sorry about that, actually."

"As I said," Rei told her, "you are not my enemy. You have nothing to apologize for." She stood and walked over to the mouth of the cave, staring out into the snowstorm. "Very well, then…send word that you have completed your operation." She turned around, catching Mana's unsure reaction. "It does not have to be a spoken confirmation, does it?" The other girl shook her head. "Then code in and send a message that it is done. Because I have to return to Japan quickly, this will ensure the fastest route."

Mana quickly realized what Rei was planning to do, her expression reflecting that. "Oh…" she said, a grin appearing on her face. "That's pretty sneaky. I like it." She looked about the cavern floor. "Where's my-"

"It is still in your left pocket," Rei answered.

Nodding, Mana reached into her pants pocket and retrieved the phone, opening it and typing away for a couple of minutes. "At least it _can_ get a signal in here," she mused during her work. There was a pause as she waited for a reply, which arrived soon after with a sharp 'beep' sound. Closing the phone again, she spoke up. "Okay, it's done. Pick-up will be along after the weather clears tomorrow, approximately 0800 hours. Looks like we've got a little wait ahead of us." She looked up at Rei. "I mean…you _are_ going to take me with you…_right_?"

"Of course," Rei replied. "It would have been a wasted effort to treat your injuries only to leave you to your handlers…who would most likely have you killed. You will have to move slower, given your injuries…but you are able to."

Mana cast her eyes downward again. "Thank you…really, thanks a lot."

"Do not thank me yet," Rei said, turning to look back out into the night. "We are still far from being safe."

* * *

The next morning, the weather having cleared an hour earlier, the two girls waited out in a thicker part of the woods near the clearing, almost time for the helicopter to be coming in. Mana's phone had been left in the back of the cave, her explanation being that the pilot would land and locate her via GPS, which was in the phone. That would give them enough time to procure the vehicle and escape…hopefully.

Rei's ears picked up the sound of the chopper's blades first, her muscles tensing. "It is time," she said softly. Mana looked over at her and nodded, also prepared for the next step. They watched as the helicopter made its descent and landed in the snow, the lone occupant being the pilot. As he produced something from his belt and began walking to the cave entrance, the girls quickly ran out and inside the vehicle.

Rei took the pilot's seat, giving the various gauges and meters a brief examination. 'Everything appears to be in order,' she thought, the craft ascending once more into the sky. The pilot ran out of the cave as soon as they cleared the treetops, pulling a handgun from his belt and taking several shots at the chopper. "Get down," she ordered, which Mana did with haste. Most of the bullets hit the craft, but they remained airborne. The First Child pushed the control stick forward, and they quickly moved over the Russian countryside.

Three hours into their flight and well out over water, looked down and noticed the fuel gauge was lower than it should have been. "Kirishima," she said, having to speak louder than normally to be heard. "Are we losing fuel?"

Mana unbuckled herself from the rear seat, kept a tight grip on one of the straps and poked her head out of the open side to look back at the tail end of the helicopter. "Uh…yeah, I'd say so," she shouted back. "We took about five rounds in the tank, maybe more."

Rei tensed her jaw slightly. 'That is unfortunate,' she thought, looking down at their fuel level. "We may not have enough to reach a suitable landing site."

Mana considered this information for a moment. "Well…who says we have to land on _land_?" When Rei gave her a blank look, she explained. "They're going to look for this thing no matter where we touch down, so why not just crash it into the ocean and do something that'll throw them off the trail?"

"That is…not the most sane idea I have been privy to," Rei answered. "But it is not without merit."

"Exactly why it's going to work," Mana assured her. "How far are we from shore?"

Rei looked out of the front window, trying to judge the distance. "I would say no closer than six miles."

"That's good enough for me," Mana replied. "Just point it down a little and set the auto-pilot."

Rei nodded and did so, effectively putting the machine into a suicide run. Moving over to the open side, she looked down at the water. "I will need to reach my destination with this intact," she said, holding up her bag. "I do not see how-"

"Oh, we're not going diving," Mana interrupted, picking up something from the back of the craft along with two plastic oars. She pulled a cord on the side, the package unfurling into a yellow life raft. "Besides, I'm wounded and that's ocean water below us…meaning sharks. Not a good combination, you understand?" Rei nodded, now fully understanding the plan. They each took deep breaths and dropped straight from the craft when it was about twenty feet from the surface, the raft right under them. As they hit the surface, the First Child curled herself around her bag to protect the computer inside. The raft evened out right after its rough landing, and as it floated along the surface, both saw and heard the helicopter make its landing, an extremely loud crash of metal and water.

Rei took a quick assessment of her cargo. 'It has remained dry, that is fortunate,' she thought, then looked around to get their bearings. 'Less than a mile offshore.' She took one of the oars Mana had brought along and started to row. The other girl mirrored her actions, the two of them falling into rhythm soon after. Another ten minutes later, they reached the shoreline and pulled the raft along with them inland.

About five minutes later, both girls were gathered around a small fire they had set to dispose of the raft and oars. "So…where do we go from here?" Mana asked, cracking her knuckles.

"I have to return to my comrades," Rei answered. "I have a feeling that this is _far_ from over." She looked at the other girl. "What about yourself? They may not come for you-"

"But you're not certain, right?" Mana finished for her. "I…do have a few places I could go, some people I used to know from TRIDENT. Maybe one of those will be a safe haven."

"That would be a good place to start," Rei agreed. "But keep alert all the same. Only if you hear something public about SEELE will it be clear, that is what _I_ believe." She shouldered her bag and started to walk away, then stopped and turned around. "Goodbye, Kirishima. I…hope you survive, wherever you go."

Mana surprised Rei by walking over and giving her a hug. "Thank you so much," she said quietly before letting go. "I don't know how I can ever thank you enough for-"

"It…it is quite alright," Rei cut in, blushing a little, then resumed her walk.

"Will we meet each other again?" Mana asked.

Rei stopped, but did not turn around. She thought of something Shinji told her after the raid at NERV headquarters, it seemed…appropriate. "Who can truly say, it is a wide world out there." She continued walking, needing to return to the shelter and look at the information she had risked her life to obtain.

* * *

'We are still being hunted.'

That was the thought running through Rei's mind as she walked among the streets of Osaka, her brunette wig and a pair of sunglasses in place. It had been three days since coming back to Japan, her return greatly hastened by her decision to hotwire the first available car she came across. It only took around sixteen hours to get back to the shelter, where the information on the computer she'd taken from the Treadstone facility was quickly disseminated by Ritsuko. Unfortunately, what it told them was grave.

'Nagisa failed to eliminate one of his targets,' Rei thought, remembering what they had found. Most of it had been various unimportant bits and pieces of random data, but the in-company communications had revealed a great many things. One of the members of SEELE had survived his assassination attempt and came forward to continue their work. She didn't know if that meant that this individual would attempt to restart the Human Instrumentality Project…but even if they didn't, it still meant nothing good.

The communications had also revealed that they _were_ targets, with standing kill orders on herself, Major Katsuragi, Agent Ryoji and Doctor Akagi. Shinji and Asuka had been marked as priority targets, but not for immediate elimination. 'Perhaps they are to be taken to this person before they are killed?' she asked herself. Regardless of that bit of speculation, there was no way it would end well if they didn't take action. A plan had been worked out: she would locate and warn the other Children, then return to the others and they would make haste for the NERV facility in Moscow, where the last remaining Committee member was located (at least by the information they had). Where they would go from there would have to remain a variable, too many factors for something concrete.

Rei spotted the stretch of beach that would lead to the cabin Shinji and Asuka had rented. She was unsure of why, and when she questioned Misato about it, the older woman had just said, "_Trust me, we don't have the kind of time I'd need to explain_." She didn't know what the major was talking about, but let the question drop anyway. 'It is not relevant for the situation,' she thought, looking at the sand from the high side-street she was on. Off in the distance below, she could make out a dark shape in some tall grass. She quickly readjusted her position to slightly higher ground, which gave her a better look.

It was a man in a dark suit, watching something in the distance through a rifle scope. Looking further down the beach, Rei could make out two shapes moving near the shore. It seemed like too much to be a coincidence. Taking a telescopic sight out of the bag she was carrying, she spied the two people through it…which turned out to be her fellow pilots. 'I will have to make this fast,' she concluded, placing the sight back in the bag and removing a pistol. Affixing a silencer, she removed her disguise and moved silently over behind the agent. 'I do not wish to kill you,' she thought, just as she reached him and clicked the safety off her weapon, which drew his attention to her, 'but to protect those close to me…I will do what I must.'

**-To be continued…-**

**A/N:** Okay, that clears up the time between **IDENTITY** and **SUPREMACY** as far as Rei (and maybe Zero) is concerned. And I delivered (I hope) on the action scenes that were missing from the last chapter. Next, we're going to move to after **ULTIMATUM** (well, kinda...you'll see what I mean when we get there). I hope no one's getting lost on the timeline-jumping yet.

Hmm, let's see…what else to comment on? Oh yeah…_that_.

Weren't expecting to see Mana pop up, were you? I figured that would surprise at least a few readers. Truth is, I only _barely_ know anything about her. Basically, just a little more than you can read on the EvaGeeks wiki…but I, like many Eva fans, only consider her 'partial-canon' (meaning created by Gainax but not in the original series), so I'm not running to discover more (sorry to any Mana fans out there). But I figured she's enough of a blank slate that it was worth trying to work her in here. Besides, in my head I could see a variation of the scene in _The Bourne Identity_ (movie, not book) between Jason and the Professor using Rei and Mana, and it was simply too good **not** to use…as was their after-battle talk. Considering how many Asuka fans have a beef with Kirishima, this is kinda my "olive branch", if you will.

Speaking of that little ambush, the song-to-scene for that is _Assassin_ by **Muse**.

Pre-read was, once again, done by Ash. Thank you kindly, ma'am.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

**-AngelNo13Bardiel-**


	3. Rusted Halo, Scabbed Wings

See Chapter 1 for disclaimer. This chapter (and the next one) takes place after **THE IKARI ULTIMATUM** chapter 4 (well, also during it…kinda). Also, I don't own any of the characters being introduced later on, they're the property of Vertigo/DC Comics.

**-THE AYANAMI SANCTIONS-**

Chapter 3: Rusted Halo, Scabbed Wings

The sun beat down on the tarmac, a small group of people gathered around awaiting the arrival of a cargo plane. "Should be any minute now," Misato said, looking at her watch. It had been a week since they had came home to Japan after their little Arctic 'vacation', a flurry of activity and questions awaiting them upon returning. Ritsuko had gone before the U.N. to propose her plan of going around and deactivating/dismantling the remaining mass-production EVA units.

The Beijing branch had already made their own plans for their particular unit, showing the public that something was being done to remove these dangerous machines now that their purpose was done. The one that had been buried in the explosion at the Berlin branch was being excavated out of the wreckage, with its deactivation to be soon after if need be. And, of course, the unit in the Artic base was already destroyed completely. The remaining ones, however…that would have to be more hands-on, not to mention discreet. "You really sure you _have_ to do this yourself?" the former major asked.

Ritsuko nodded, readjusting her clothing. It was one of the dark blue uniforms used by the JSSDF. "We've already gone over this, Misato," she replied. "They're going to need someone with in-depth knowledge of Project E…and given there's not anyone else higher-ranking, that leaves me."

"I know, it's just…" Misato trailed off, sighing. "I just wish there were another way that _didn't_ involve you going into potential-conflict areas."

"Oh, come on, it's not like I'm going in alone," Ritsuko countered. "There's a team waiting for us when we land…not to mention Rei." She looked over at the younger girl, dressed in a smaller JSSDF uniform. "Rei, please tell the crazy lady that I'm going to be _just fine_."

"That is correct," Rei spoke up. "I will not allow harm to come to Dr. Akagi while I am able to."

"To be honest, I don't really want _you_ going either," Misato said with a frown, "but I know you can handle pretty much anything by now."

"Which is _exactly_ why you shouldn't worry about them," Kaji told her. "Trust me, the guys they're going to be working with are top-notch."

Misato closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You'd better be right about this," she muttered. "That won't stop me from worrying over it regularly until they _both_ make it back here."

"Major…" Rei began. "Exactly how did you get approval for my role in this operation?"

"Ah, yes…that," Misato replied, a small smile forming. She reached into her jacket and produced a small stack of papers, searching through them before clearing her throat and reading. "Let's see…officially? 'Pilot Ayanami was KIA upon the destruction of Evangelion Unit-00 and the target designated the Sixteenth Angel'." She rolled the papers up again. "I'd say that pretty much makes you a non-entity as far as 'official' goes. We'll just have to work out the kinks when you get back. And don't worry, there's not one thing in the reports that reveals your…genetic nature."

Rei stood silently for a moment before nodding. "I see…" she answered. "I suppose this is goodbye for now, then."

"_Only_ for now," Misato said, holding out her hand. Rei was still for a second before reaching out and shaking it. "Good luck out there."

Rei nodded, then looked over to Kaji. "Agent Ryoji, where will you go?"

"Me?" Kaji asked, shaking his head. "Not sure yet. I'm still an asset of the Japanese government, after all. I'll request to be kept in-country…but in this line of work, you just never know." He placed a hand in front of him and bowed deeply, the grin never leaving his face. "As Katsuragi said, we wish you the best of luck."

The sound of the cargo plane approaching drew everyone's attention for a moment. "Looks like it's time," Ritsuko said as it landed, picking up her bags.

Rei nodded, then turned to the last two people there. "I…" she started hesitantly. "I am not very good with farewells."

"Farewells are for when you _know_ you won't see the other person again," Asuka replied. "And we know all too well you'll make it home. You said it yourself, you're a survivor."

Rei thought that over for a moment. "Yes…I suppose you are correct." She slowly held out her hand. "A temporary goodbye then, Asuka."

Asuka took the offered hand, giving it a tight grip. "Heh, there's hope for you yet, Rei." She looked over at the person next to her. "Well, go on, say something. You're been _way_ too quiet today…even for you."

Shinji Ikari smiled at her playful nudging. "Yeah, sorry…" he said out of habit, noticing Asuka roll her eyes right after. He looked up at Rei. "Umm…Rei, I…"

Rei shook her head. "If you are not comfortable with saying goodbye, that is quite alright," she told him. "We will meet again."

Shinji sighed, then stepped forward and hugged Rei. She was surprised for a moment, then returned the gesture. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Asuka shudder slightly before relaxing…but there was still something tense in her posture. The former Third Child let go and stepped back, his blush very noticeable. "Sorry…I just didn't know how to thank you." He paused for a few seconds. "For everything, I mean. You've saved a lot of people already, not just us."

"Y…you are welcome," Rei responded softly. She reached down to collect her own bag, walking toward the open back end of the plane. Before she reached it, she looked back at the others. The adults were saying their own goodbyes, with Misato and Ritsuko sharing a quick hug. Shinji and Asuka stared back at her, smiling and waving She waved back for a moment, then turned and walked onto the aircraft.

* * *

Rei was pulled back into consciousness as the plane touched down at its destination. She looked over at Ritsuko, who just nodded and collected her bags. They finally came to a full stop, then disembarked to find an old military truck awaiting them. A blonde man wearing glasses and green fatigues walked up to meet them. "Ah yes…welcome to the good old U.S. of A," he announced in an exaggerated way. "Land of the free, home of the brave…blah, blah, you know the rest, blah."

"Give it a rest, Jensen," another male voice came from the back of the vehicle.

The man called 'Jensen' turned back toward the truck. "Aw, come on boss, I'm just greeting our friends here," he spoke in a fake pained tone. "Don't you wanna make 'em feel welcome?"

The driver's side door of the truck opened, a tall bald African-American male wearing the same uniform stepping out. "I'd like to apologize on behalf of my comrade here," he told them. "Sometimes he doesn't know when to turn that shit off."

"Hey, hey…_language_," Jensen warned. "There are _ladies_ present here."

"Just get in the truck or I'll leave your ass here," the other man said, getting back in the vehicle. "And don't think I won't!" he shouted out of the side-window.

Jensen sighed. "Some people just have no sense of humor, I tell ya." He looked over at the bags Rei and Ritsuko were carrying. "Need any help with that?"

Ritsuko shook her head. "No thanks, it's not much anyway." She stepped toward the truck, the younger girl right behind her. As they entered the back, there were two other men present: one an American with short dark hair and a hard look on his face, and one seated toward the front of the truck, Hispanic with long brown hair and a goatee, wearing a cowboy hat. Both wore the same clothes as the other two. They both nodded as the women entered.

"Good, we can get moving then," the dark-haired one said. He banged against the wall connecting the rear of the truck to the cab. A few seconds later, the engine started and the vehicle began moving. "Okay guys," he spoke up. "These are our guests for the duration of this mission. It's up to us to make sure they make it back in one piece. Am I clear?" He was answered back by three calls of 'yes sir'. "Alright then," he extended a hand to the doctor. "Name's Clay. I keep things running in this little outfit."

"Ritsuko Akagi," she replied, taking the offered hand. "I hope you'll forgive me for asking…but something about this doesn't seem like any kind of official op I've ever heard of."

Clay nodded. "And you'd be right about that, doctor," he said, taking a seat across the way. "Given the…sensitive nature of what we're doing, everything has to be kept as small as possible…and off-the-books."

"You're not with the U.N., are you?" Ritsuko asked.

"You catch on quick," Clay answered. "Actually, we're not with _any_ official outfit. Or, I should say, a couple of us _used _to be."

"You are mercenaries, then?" Rei questioned.

Clay shook his head. "I mean, at one time, yeah. These days, we're usually in the U.N.'s employ for when they need something done quietly…and done right."

"Is that why you signed on for this?" Ritsuko queried.

"No," Clay said. "This one we got handed because of an…old friend's recommendation."

Ritsuko fell silent for a moment as she thought it over. "Let me guess…Kaji Ryoji?"

Clay laughed a bit, nodding. "You got it. We owed him a favor, so I suppose this is how he cashed it in."

"Knowing Kaji, that must be an interesting story," Ritsuko mused.

"Well, we've got time until arriving at the temporary camp," Clay spoke up, glancing at his watch. "How about a little history lesson?"

"I don't see why not," Ritsuko replied, shrugging. "Lead on, then."

"First things first, let me introduce everybody," Clay began, opening the small sliding door into the truck's cab. "This here's Pooch. If you can fly or drive or maneuver it, he's your guy. Also a damned good gearhead."

Pooch gave them a quick wave. "Sorry about the ride, ma'am. These roads are hell, y'know?"

"It's quite okay," Ritsuko assured him.

Clay pointed over at the blonde man with glasses. "That smartass over there is Jensen, and you've already met." Jensen never looked up from his laptop, steadily pecking away. "He'll give you a helluva headache, but I've never seen an electronic countermeasure he couldn't beat."

"Oh?" Ritsuko remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Did he ever try hacking a MAGI system?"

"No, but I _did_ strongly consider it once," Jensen replied, still not looking up from his screen. "You're gonna have to give me a crack at trying that type-666 firewall, doc. I'm always looking to test myself."

Ritsuko shook her head. "Not a chance, I'm afraid," she said. "I doubt even multiple MAGI working together would breach it…for a while."

Jensen finally looked up at her, stroking his chin. "Impressive…most impressive."

Clay cleared his throat, getting the woman's attention again. "And the quiet one back here is Cougar," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the man wearing the cowboy hat, who just tilted his hat up and nodded. "He doesn't say much, but that just makes him ideal for infiltration. Plus, if you need to tag someone from long distance, he's your huckleberry."

"How long of a distance are you referring to?" Rei questioned.

"Ever seen a _headshot_ from a mile off with a hunting rifle?" Clay asked. He pointed at Cougar. "I've seen him do it." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Trust me…we may look like the 'B' team, but we play an 'A' game."

"So tell me, how did such a…makeshift unit come together?" Ritsuko ventured.

Clay made a heavy sigh. "Well now, that takes us back to the time after Second Impact," he began. "You remember what that was like, right? The chaos?" Ritsuko nodded. "I was U.S. Army back then…so was Pooch."

"Yeah, one-hundred percent Army green," Pooch spoke up. "And 'green' would've been the best thing to call me then, just barely there for six months before it happened. Clay's more of a lifer than me."

Clay nodded. "Now, let's get one thing straight, doctor: I _believe_ in my country, I've _bled_ for it. But there's only so much that can be done logistically in the face of that kind of disaster. And when they stop keeping troops adequately supplied, things can get…ugly, to be blunt. So when it comes down to either serving your country for little-to-no pay or using what you've acquired in the private sector to make _just_ enough to eat on…well, you get the idea. The one time loyalty can be negotiable is in the face of survival."

"And where do they come in?" Ritsuko asked, pointing to Jensen and Cougar.

"Coug was living in southern California at the time," Clay explained. "Completely self-taught, if you can believe that. There's this story I heard when I first met him that he _single-handedly_ defended a group of starving kids from his neighborhood from scavengers for a week. On top of the boarded-up remains of a school, one rifle, plenty of ammo. Never missed a shot, but didn't kill a man." He looked over at his teammate. "Isn't that right?"

Cougar never looked up. "_Si_," he responded in a soft voice.

"This one, on the other hand," Clay went on, his thumb pointed at Jensen, "was in federal custody when we were introduced."

"Wait…_federal_?" Ritsuko questioned, a puzzled look on her face.

"Hey, I was only stealing enough to get by," Jensen countered.

"Five thousand is hardly pocket change," Clay replied. "Besides, what good was money when the whole _system_ was that close to collapse?"

"Ah, so you were a hacker," Ritsuko stated.

"I prefer the term 'child of technology', actually," Jensen replied, then shrugged. "But it's all semantics."

"Only to you," Clay said, continuing. "Anyway, yeah, this guy got caught and was looking at a serious sentence. Then he got offered a place on a…special team that was being put together. And that's how this little crew was made."

"Hand-picked, huh?" Ritsuko mused. "So who pulled the strings?"

"All we knew at the time was the name 'Max'," Clay explained. "It's frequently used by CIA spooks as a cover identity. What we _didn't_ know was that this 'Max' was actually SEELE."

"You were SEELE operatives?" Rei asked.

Clay nodded. "Not by choice, you understand. They didn't use us for any dirty business…at least not in the beginning."

"The boss has kind of a code," Jensen interrupted. "To quote the man, '_we don't take blood money and we don't do wetworks_.' Sort of his version of modern Bushido, I guess you'd say."

Clay nodded. "The last operation we took while under them was to meet with a 'person of interest' and put 'em down," he continued. "When I got there…there he was."

"You mean Kaji, don't you?" Ritsuko questioned.

"Yeah," Clay confirmed. "This was after his abduction and subsequent release of Sub-commander Fuyutsuki. Kaji and I had met years ago and I…kinda owed him at the time. So I let him walk. And trust me, that whole '_no good deed goes unpunished_' think really bit us hard soon after."

"How do you mean?" Rei asked.

Clay sighed. "We had boarded our plane, heading off to wherever we were to be stationed next. During the flight, something exploded and we went down. There was a fifth man team with the team, Roque. We hit some hard turbulence and he went tumbling out of the plane. He was holding onto a parachute, but…" he paused for a moment. "We're still not sure if he's still alive. We never found a body or heard from him again."

"I'm so sorry," Ritsuko said softly.

"It happens in our business," Clay replied, "but it never feels routine to lose a comrade. Never should, either. Anyway…the rest of us survived our fall out of the sky and went into hiding, looking for this 'Max' person. By the time we discovered who we had been working for, they were already all dead." He looked over at Rei. "I'm told you had a hand in that. I don't know if you killed the bastard responsible…but thanks all the same. Saved us the trouble of hunting him down for a bit of payback." Rei hesitantly nodded. "Somebody high up in the U.N. must have heard about us and made a few calls, because the next thing we know, we're working for them."

"And that leads us to now, right?" Ritsuko guessed.

Clay nodded. "We're headed up to a temporary outpost for reconnaissance and planning. We've got six targets spread out across the globe, starting with one just a few states away. That's where we'll be heading first. I suggest you learn to rest while you can, it's gonna be a long trip."

As Clay and Ritsuko continued discussing their preparations, Rei closed her eyes to get some sleep. What little she did on the plane had been restless and full of strange dreams. She rarely dreamt before, but it was becoming more common lately…not to mention unnerving.

* * *

The following month-and-a-half was a flurry of activity, the team moving country-to-country to find and disable the remaining mass productions EVAs…and their S2 engines. The first was deep in the South Dakota's Black Hills, everything about the hangar having been in disuse for months. Finding and getting the engine to the surface would end up being the biggest issue, and would continue to be a problem for subsequent units. All were slated to be destroyed in a manner similar to Beijing's: a high-altitude detonation via N2 missile over a remote section of the Pacific Ocean, no threat to anyone.

Next was a facility under the Kirthar Mountains in Pakistan, another long-defunct testament to the dead members of SEELE. The most difficult part of that op had been just getting _in_ and _around_ the area. This part of the world had always been conflict-prone, and in the time since Second Impact, that had only become worse. At least twice they had heard the detonation of RPGs over their ground transport, which Jensen had referred to as 'a real brown-shorts moment'.

They then traveled to South Africa, where another unit was awaiting a completion that would never happen below the Drakensberg mountain range. This one required a little roundabout thinking: a local tribe had settled into the area near the surface access lift. Fortunately, the team had managed to circumvent the need to remove them by careful use of the facility's labyrinth of maintenance tunnels. It _had_, unfortunately, taken nearly two days to move the S2 engine by way of train cart out to the open surface.

The last had been near Arkhangelsk, Russia…this one being the only contested ground during their mission. They had been Russian mafia, armed and ready to fight back to protect their 'valuable find'. This was the only time combat had been necessary, as these were people not willing to negotiate. But a group of nearly thirty armed criminals was not enough for one small group of well-trained soldiers. A few stragglers managed to make it outside, but it was doubtful they would make it back to civilization: the structure was in heavily-mountainous terrain and quite a long distance from a town or city of any kind.

Four down, two to go…but these would not be as easy.

* * *

Ritsuko sat at a folding table, in front of her laptop. It was two days after Arkhangelsk, and she had submitted her report to Misato the day before. Sleep wasn't really coming that easily, so she pecked away at some of the data she'd collected from the various SEELE facilities they had been in. 'Might be nothing of value,' she thought, 'but it wouldn't have been right to destroy potentially useful information.' A beep drew her attention to someone attempting to place a video call. She allowed it, then waited for the other line to come in. Staring back at her was a familiar face…who looked much more awake. "Good morning, Major."

"Oh, cut that out," Misato said. "This isn't an official call, just a little downtime between paperwork."

"No matter where you work, they just try and bury you with it, don't they?" Ritsuko asked, her tone mockingly playful.

Misato sighed. "Tell me about it," she answered. "I thought I'd see less of it at the JSSDF. But, _oh no_, they couldn't do _that_." She visibly slumped, one hand under her chin. "Man, I wish we could trade places, I'd much rather be in the field than behind this desk."

"Trust me, it's not all that great," Ritsuko countered. "What do you think _I'm_ doing?"

"That's a good question, actually," Misato said. "It's gotta be pretty late there."

Ritsuko checked her watch. "Damn, after four in the morning. Didn't realize that."

"Got a little insomnia there, Rits?" Misato teased. "No, really, I'd probably feel the same, as much as you've changed time zones lately."

Ritsuko removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "It's like living in constant jet-lag," she muttered, putting the glasses back on. "But enough about me and my fatigue…how are things with you personally?"

Misato shrugged. "All goes well, I suppose. Kaji's gone off for some kind of investigation, so I've been at the apartment with what free time I _do_ get."

"And what about the kids?" Ritsuko questioned, unable to resist holding back a grin. "How is that working out for you?"

"Oh, don't remind me," Misato grumbled, left palm on her forehead.

"Really?" Ritsuko asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought they were getting along well."

"They are…that's _kinda_ the problem," Misato answered.

Ritsuko shook her head. "Okay, I'll bite…I don't get what you mean."

"I…I think I interrupted something last week," Misato admitted. "They were both still dressed, but-"

"Alright, I get it, don't need to know the rest," Ritsuko cut her off, holding her hands up. "But I seem to remember you saying something about having a little 'talk' with them soon. What happened to that, did you forget?"

"No, I _did_ fit that into my schedule," Misato replied. "And I was realistic about it and treated them both like adults. Just a few simple lines to follow." She held up a finger, more adding to it as she counted off points. "One, don't make a habit out of it. Two, and I could _not_ have stressed this more, protection is a must. And three, don't let me catch you…which means, of course, never when _I'm_ in the apartment. I don't want to see _or_ hear that going on down the hall. They've done pretty good so far, which has to be difficult when sharing a room-"

Ritsuko cut in again. "Wait…you're _letting_ them share a room?"

"As a way of showing that I _trust_ them," Misato insisted, "which I do. You have to give kids a _little_ rope at least."

"Just be careful they don't hang you with it," Ritsuko warned, lighting a cigarette. "But _aside_ from their private activities," she continued, exhaling a large puff of smoke, "how are they?"

Misato shrugged. "All's good otherwise, I guess. It's weird, you know," she began. "Last year, I would have _begged_ for the kind of peace I'm getting these days at home. They actually get along now, haven't even had a heated argument in weeks. Shinji's even been teaching Asuka how to cook. Well, she would say that she's '_allowing him to show me_', but it's still cute anyway."

Ritsuko smiled. "Ah, to be young and in love again," she mused.

"Indeed," Misato agreed. "When school went back in, there was a little bit of a commotion." She paused, laughing a little. "There were a lot of calls to the apartment that first week, let's just say that much. It's quite a sight, watching them go on dates or out for a walk or even just cuddling on the couch. Their weekend activity is…odd, though."

That comment caused Ritsuko to cock an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Mind out of the gutter, doctor," Misato teased. "Saturday mornings, they head up to the rooftop to…practice-fight."

Ritsuko blinked several times. "Run that by me one more time, I think I misheard you."

Misato shook her head. "You didn't," she replied. "It's kind of a weekly routine for them. I didn't understand it either, then I asked Shinji. He says they did it every morning during that month in Osaka. I guess for them it's a bonding experience. I'm pretty sure Asuka likes the competition part of it, too."

"She would," Ritsuko said. "Tell them I'm glad to hear they're doing well."

"I will," Misato replied, then smacked her forehead lightly. "Oh crap, I almost forgot. You remember a couple of week ago when I mentioned some work on the MAGI here?"

Ritsuko nodded. She had heard the MAGI had been a little finicky lately, probably in need of a little maintenance. "I do recall that, yes," she answered. "Let me guess, you'll need me to look over-"

"Acually," Misato interrupted, "we've got somebody here working on that." She waved somebody over from off-screen. A few seconds later, a young woman with short brown hair walked into frame. "What did you need, Misa-" She stopped mid-question to look into the computer's camera. "…sempai, is that you?"

"_Maya_?" Ritsuko questioned, greatly surprised. "Wow…it's been a while."

"I knew just who to go to about the MAGI with you out of reach," Misato spoke up. "After all, who _else_ but your protégé to help out with that?"

Maya Ibuki squirmed a little, smiling. "It's…good to see you again, ma'am."

"Uh…yeah…" Ritsuko answered. "I thought you'd have left the military altogether."

"I did," Maya replied. "But when Major Katsuragi contacted me about working with the MAGI again…well, how could I resist?"

"Then I know she's in capable hands," Ritsuko said, a small smile on her face. "I'm glad you're doing well, Maya. Maybe we'll get in touch when I get back."

For just a moment, there was a nervous tone in the younger woman's voice. "I…I'd very much like that, sempai." She looked over at Misato. "Sorry, I've got to get back to work." She gave the camera a quick wave before walking off.

"Well, that's quite a surprise…" Ritsuko thought aloud.

"I thought you'd see it that way," Misato told her in an amused tone. Her face suddenly became serious. "I'd ask how Rei was doing but…I read your report earlier."

Ritsuko nodded, knowing what her friend was talking about. She had submitted her report in two parts: one official and very cut-and-dried, the other a more personal approach to the matter, for Misato's eyes only. It detailed an incident just after the team had left the facility. One of the criminals who had tried to escape laid dead in the snow outside, he couldn't have been older than eighteen. Rei had knelt down and closed the young man's still-open eyes, saying something too quiet for the others to hear. When the doctor asked what she had said, the blue-haired girl responded that she apologized for '_ending his life much too soon_'.

"I can't be certain," Ritsuko said, coming back from her recollection, "but I think her emotions are finally becoming clearer to herself, more pronounced. And I'd bet any amount of money that it's bothering her."

"Why not have a little talk with her then?" Misato ventured. "It might be good for her to let that kind of thing out."

Ritsuko shook her head. "You know I'm not the motherly type, Misato. Even now, I…still don't know how to approach her. She told me it's all in the past, but the fact remains that I treated her no better than a test subject for a long time."

As the two women continued their discussion, Rei sat quietly on the other side of the tent flap. She had heard someone talking as she approached, and when the subject came to her, she chose to wait outside and listen. 'Dr. Akagi is correct, however,' she thought. Her emotions had already stirred from their dormant state, and now that she had begun to acknowledge them, they did nothing but confuse her further.

'I only wished to finish my mission and return home,' Rei mused. 'It is nearly over, but…I still feel something I cannot explain.' This sensation had been with her since she first used her 'power' at the Arctic base. A small thing, almost like a presence at the edge of her perception. But nonetheless, it was there and it had been growing ever-so-slightly stronger as the days went on. 'I feel as though it will reveal its nature in time…but I am not certain I want that.'

* * *

Within a week, the team had traveled to the penultimate unit's location, deep in the rain forest near Juruti, Brazil. As they walked the sterile, metallic hallways of the facility, Jensen spoke up. "Guess these guys didn't know how to break from habit, huh? I'm having déjà vu from hell."

"Almost every NERV or SEELE facility has the same layout," Ritsuko said, keeping in step. "Made things easier if employees had to transfer."

"Well, it's creepy," Clay replied. "At least there's no one here this time. Let's just find the core and get out of here, people. Another week, we'll all look back and laugh."

"Amen to that," Pooch said, bringing up the rear of the formation. "First round's on me."

"You just remember you said that, man," Jensen countered. "We're gonna hold you to it."

Minutes later, they found the door into the control center and piled inside, Ritsuko and Jensen gathered around the main consoles to locate the S2 engine. "Huh?" the blonde man said, not getting any response from the computer. "Doc, you getting anywhere on your end?"

"No, nothing's working," Ritsuko answered, trying every button and switch present. "Main structure's power is on, so that's not the issue…"

The door back to the hallway shut suddenly, a bright flash of sparks erupting from the panel next to it a few seconds later. Before anyone could comment on it, the loudspeaker in the ceiling crackled to life. "Ah Clay, I see you've finally made it," a deep male voice spoke. "I had been waiting for a couple of days."

"Th…that's Roque!" Pooch exclaimed. "But…but we-"

"-never found a body," Clay interrupted, his face barely showing expression. "Roque, that is you, isn't it?"

"Don't bother shouting, I can't hear what you're saying," Roque's voice continued. "I _can_ see you, however. If you'll look up and to your right, please?" Clay did so, catching sight of the wireless camera that had been placed recently. "There you go. So good to see you all again, I was afraid some of you might not have survived that wreck. Now…I wish I could say we were meeting under better circumstances…but it's the nature of our business: sometimes you can't predict who will be on the opposing side."

"Clay and I always did have differing ideas about our line of work," Roque went on. "The very nature of a 'mercenary' means that _no job_ is off-limits. Ah, but that's the soldier in him. When I managed to walk away from that crash, I was contacted by an…interested party who needed someone with my skills for a project. Like I said, that leads us to this impasse." There was a pause for just a moment. "Because we're old friends, I said I wouldn't kill you…but you won't hinder me either. See you folks later."

The room went quiet again, the mood inside tense and heavy. "Roque…you son of a bitch," Clay finally said, head hung low. He quickly looked up at the others. "Okay people, I know you've got comments, but let's stow 'em for the time being. I want a sit-rep and I want it _now_." Five other heads nodded, quickly spreading out and taking in their situation.

Pooch moved to the door, removing the access panel near the door with a knife. He stared inside for a few seconds before wiping the sweat away from his forehead and releasing a long breath. "Got some bad news here, man," he spoke up. He motioned inside with the knife tip as Clay moved in for a closer inspection. "Remote-detonation thermite packet."

"Jesus…" Clay said. "Can't even patch into the door controls now."

"It's not much better over here," Jensen commented, deep inside the guts of the room's main console. "He didn't just unwire this thing…he _cut out_ all the fucking wires! They're not even _here_!"

"So we're stuck here?" Ritsuko asked, rubbing her temples. "How long before someone looks for us, then?"

"Doctor, there is no backup," Clay replied. "We're off-the-record on this, remember?"

Ritsuko slumped visibly against the wall. "Damn…"

"I think I got something over here," Cougar spoke softly. He motioned over an area low against the far wall. As the others approached, they saw just what he had: a duct leading into the air-vent system. Unfortunately, the space in question was about a foot-and-a-half by a foot-and-a-half large.

"Not exactly roomy, is it?" Jensen commented.

"I'm not gonna argue," Clay said. "A way out's still a way out. Size-wise, we're limited on who can go." He turned to Rei. "Looks like it's down to you."

Rei nodded, kneeling down to quickly help pry away the grating. As it came free, she started to enter. "I will find my way back to the door and open it-"

"No ma'am," Clay interrupted. "We're secondary on this one. Roque's still here, and I'd bet anything that he's going after the core." He stared directly into the former First Child's eyes. "You find him…you _know_ what to do."

Rei hesitated before nodding, not wishing to have to use lethal force again. She entered the vent and began to slowly work her way through the confined metallic corridors. Within fifteen minutes, she had emerged back out in the connecting hallway near the room she had been in. Remembering what Clay had said, she took off in the other direction, searching for the main hangar where the disassembled parts of Unit-12 were stored.

Another five minutes of running eventually led Rei to the room she was hunting for. High overhead on a metal walkway, she could see a figure in a dark uniform working with the lift controls. The S2 engine had already been loaded onto it, ready for surface transport. 'I will have to hurry,' she thought, looking for some way to reach the upper level. Quietly creeping along the path she was on, she spied a ladder some distance away. Not wasting one second, she scaled it quickly and turned to look back at the walkway she was headed for. The ladder went past it, into another level of the facility. She took a deep breath and threw herself off backwards, landing none-too-silently on the metal footpath just a few feet from her target.

Roque turned his attention from the controls to the loud bang near him. "Clever girl," he thought aloud. "Hadn't really expected any of you to make it out of there until I was finished."

Rei stood and faced her opposition. He stood much taller than her, short black hair and a long scar than ran down the right side of his head. "Roque…" she started. "I am warning you, you have no idea of the danger inherent in this object." She pointed over at the core nearby, stopped mid-level. "It is something better left away from the hands of man."

"Well, that might be true," Roque replied, unsheathing a large knife from a thigh scabbard, "but if it's not delivered, I don't get paid."

"I do not understand," Rei spoke, her stance in reaction to the weapon's appearance. "You have fought and risked death together. That is no way to treat your comrades."

"You almost sound like Clay," Roque said with a laugh. "But I'm not a soldier, you see. I'm a just a man with skills and the willingness to use them. There's no ideology, just money." He shrugged. "It's nothing personal."

"I will not let you complete this task," Rei stated.

Roque sighed. "You know…I was kind of _hoping_ you'd say that." He suddenly lunged out with the blade, Rei narrowly avoiding its edge. She grabbed at his wrist and held it tightly, giving him a hard elbow to the chest with her other arm. He fell back a few feet away, quickly regaining his footing and holding the knife in a defensive posture. "Heh, not bad at all." He motioned for her to come forward. "C'mon…let's dance."

Rei closed the distance in a hurry, once again attempting to wrest the blade away from him. "I do not wish to kill you, Roque," she spoke as they grappled, "but I _will_ stop you however I can."

"Good luck with that," Roque replied, quickly turning his knife toward her and pressing something on the hilt. The blade sprung out, burying itself deep into her left thigh. Rei grunted in pain but did not lose her footing. Instead, she delivered an open palm strike under his chin, separating them once again. "As much fun as this is," he said, reaching into a pocket with his free hand, "I really do have to hurry." He removed a small tube with a red button on the top. "Be seeing you, kid." He pressed the switch, part of the walkway they were standing on being taken out by the ensuing blast.

Rei had been standing on part of the bridge that had fallen, barely avoiding a deadly fall by reaching out and grabbing onto the remnants of the catwalk. There was an intense pain from the knife embedded in her leg, but she pulled herself back onto the walkway, over a dozen feet now separating her from Roque. As she caught sight of him again, he tossed an object towards her. She quickly recognized it as a fragmentation grenade. She only had a second at most to consider her reaction: she let her instincts take over and spread her AT field, the blast contained within…but still managed to catch her opponent completely off-guard with a wave of pressure and heat.

Roque was thrown back a short distance, something coming loose from a uniform pocket and breaking on the metal grating. As he pulled himself to his feet and felt what few injuries he'd sustained, he looked over at what had broken. "Goddammit," he swore loudly. He cast his eyes back to Rei. "At least you can't do anything about this." He walked to the controls again, continuing the lift's ascent.

Across the way, Rei watched helplessly as the S2 engine moved further away from her. 'No…I will not allow it to fall into anyone's hands,' she mentally decided. She saw a piece of the railing swaying on Roque's side of the catwalk. '_Use your power_,' a voice urged her. '_You do not have any choice if you want to complete your mission_.' She didn't even think against it, only focusing on taking hold of the large chunk of metal and driving it hard into the core. She encountered resistance at first, but pushing her AT field to the hardest she had ever used it, the steel beam eventually found its way deep into the object. There was a deafening sound as the S2 engine cracked and went dead.

Roque stared at the events before him, completely floored by what he'd witnessed. "You…you…goddammit!" he shouted, unable to contain his anger. "Do you realize just how much time and effort are being put into this?" He took a moment to collect himself and breathe deeply. "Well, that just leaves the last one as my only chance left." He quickly ran in the opposite direction to an elevator nearby, turning to look in Rei's direction as he boarded. He didn't say a word, but the look on his face said enough: it was a mask of pinched rage.

Rei stood shakily on her uninjured leg and looked at the scene before her. The core was dead and ready for transport where it could be completely destroyed, Roque had escaped, and the strange presence that had been bothering her had made itself much more pronounced after she used her power. A strange feeling of wetness on her lip caused her to raise a hand to it, where she found that her nose had begun to bleed. 'A side-effect of using my AT field, I am sure,' she thought. She could just barely make out what had broken after the grenade's detonation. 'For Roque to have been that angry, it must have been crucial.'

Rei ignored the pain in her thigh and navigated the catwalks and walkways in the hangar, finding her way to the broken bridge's other side. The object on the grating was a broken test tube, apparently filled with blood. On the side was a simple white label, marked with the words '**NAGISA SAMPLE**'. She shuddered as she read the words. During their retaking of these facilities, she had made it very clear that every dummy plug encountered was also to be destroyed. 'The threat Nagisa would pose if he were to take possession of another body would be-'

Rei paused mid-thought, the strange sensation she'd been experiencing since first using her AT field finally becoming clear. 'I can _feel_ him,' she realized. 'That is what this is…and it is not nearby, which means that…' She shook her head. Roque was headed not just for the last of the EVA series, but also towards something _far_ more dangerous. 'I must hurry, then.' She retraced her steps back to the room where the others were sealed in. Stepping up to the door, she carefully manipulated her AT field and pried it open. "I apologize for making you wait," she said, her breathing heavy.

"Well, that's a pretty neat trick," Clay mused. "When were you gonna tell _us_ you could do that?"

"There is no time for explanations," Rei insisted. "We must hurry. Roque has escaped, though he did not succeed in procuring the S2 engine."

"And just where's he going, then?" Clay asked.

"Exactly where we were to go next," Rei answered. "Cairo."

Clay nodded, turning towards the team. "Alright everybody, you heard her," he ordered, "we've got an old friend to stop. Move out."

As the group filed out of the room, Ritsuko stopped for a moment to appraise Rei. "Are you okay?" she questioned. Her breath caught when she spotted the ballistic knife's blade stuck in the young girl's thigh. "Oh my God…"

"Do not worry, Dr. Akagi," Rei said. "It can be taken care of after we leave. Believe me, it is not as bad as it looks. It missed the femoral artery by more than four inches."

"But I mean…it still hurts, right?" Ritsuko asked.

"Not as much as you would suspect," Rei answered. It was the truth, actually: her genetic makeup, she learned, caused her to both take pain very well and heal wounds very quickly. 'This will be nothing but a memory in a few days' time,' she thought, falling into step with the team.

Ritsuko did not speak any further, understanding that the girl's silence was her way of saying that the conversation was over. She knew something was bothering the blue-haired girl, but now wasn't the time to ask. There was the more pressing matter of reaching the Cairo facility before Roque and stopping him…permanently.

* * *

Three days later, Rei stared out across the Sahara in the direction of their destination, less than ten miles away, far outside of the city of Cairo. It was well past midnight, the others resting up for tomorrow's operation. As they had traveled closer and closer to the facility, the sensation in her gut had become even stronger. And mixed with it in an even greater amount was fear…pure primal _fear_, the kind she hadn't felt since her second 'self' had died. 'I cannot hold back this time,' she thought grimly. 'It will either be him…or me.' There was also the matter of ensuring that Roque would not complete his assignment, but that was secondary for the moment.

The sound of a flap unzipping drew her attention over to one of the tents, where Ritsuko stepped out and over to Rei. "Can't sleep, huh?" she asked. "Looks like we're both having that problem tonight."

Rei shook her head, the chilly night air blowing her hair. "No, I am awake of my own volition," she replied. "I am thinking."

"About tomorrow?" Ritsuko ventured, which Rei answered with a nod. "Hey, how's your leg?"

"There is nothing to indicate I had been injured," Rei said. "It is functioning as it should be."

"That's good to hear," Ritsuko thought aloud, looking out across the dunes. She spied the younger girl out of her eye, considering her next words carefully. "Rei…what's been bothering you?" When the former First Child turned to look at her, the older woman continued. "It's been there since even before Roque. You spend enough time around someone, you can start picking up on these things."

Rei hesitated for a moment. She had wished to not have this conversation, but perhaps discussing would help. "I am…afraid," she began. "Not of Roque. No, there is something much worse awaiting us." She looked at Ritsuko with a dead-serious expression. "It is _him_."

"Him who?" Ritsuko asked. It only took a couple of seconds before realization hit her, her eyes going very wide. "Oh no…Nagisa?"

Rei nodded. "Roque had also tried to obtain a genetic sample along with the S2 engine. I do not know who he works for, but neither object should be in the hands of mankind."

"But…how do you know?" Ritsuko questioned. "Are you sure this one is awake?"

"I feel him," Rei answered. "I have ever since using my AT field at the Arctic, but it was a much less prevalent sensation. Now, however, I can feel it deep within my soul." She turned to face Ritsuko completely. "That is why I wish you to take the team and return. I will handle the rest of this mission by myself."

Ritsuko tensed her jaw, falling silent for a bit. "Rei…are you sure that-"

"I cannot guarantee your safety," Rei interrupted. "_Any_ of you. This is a battle only I can face." She took a deep breath. "And I _have_ to end it here. If not…they will have to utilize the remaining Evangelions. And above all, I _do not_ want Shinji or Asuka to have to fight again. So…I must do this alone. Although I cannot say I will come back the same…"

"What are you talking about?" Ritsuko asked.

"Every time I have used this power," Rei answered, "I…I cannot easily explain what it feels like, but it is like…I am less like myself than I was before. I think I now understand the meaning of the words, '_Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely_.' I only hope that will never happen to me."

"Rei…I…" Ritsuko tried to find the words, but nothing seemed to want to be spoken. Instead, she stepped towards the younger girl and placed her hands on her shoulders. "You finish what you have to here," she finally said after a pause, "but come back alive or Misato will have my head."

Rei stood still for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Dr. Akagi…no, Ritsuko…thank you." She stepped back and took a deep breath. "Tell the team I am sorry to depart without a farewell."

"I think they'll understand," Ritsuko replied, wiping at her eyes. "Now get moving, before I try and talk you out of it."

Rei nodded and turned around, heading out into the sands. A little over a half-mile away, she turned back to Ritsuko, who was still standing where she had been. The older woman smiled sadly and waved, which the blue-haired girl returned before resuming her walk, keeping her vision straight ahead and her expression serious. 'It is time, Nagisa,' she thought, feeling those words as though they were made of sharpened steel. 'Only this will truly be the final conflict…for either of us.'

* * *

Walking through the darkened hallways of the complex six hours later, Rei kept watch for anything moving. She could still sense her target, but it was far too strong to pinpoint at this range. 'I will simply have to be alert.' She forced open another door, finding the familiar red tube of a dummy plug…and it had been opened. 'He is not only awake, but mobile,' she thought, eyes darting around the room. As she moved further along into the room, there was a darker spot on the ground. Producing a flashlight from her belt, she turned it on and directed it at the obstruction. She inhaled sharply when she found a male body, every limb broken and mangled and his head twisted around completely, a jammed shotgun nearby. One look at his face told her everything: it was Roque.

Rei was about to turn the light off when she spotted a blood trail leading to the opposite door. She pried it open, checking the hallway. The trail continued off to the left, so she followed carefully. 'With any luck, Roque has already wounded Nagisa. But given his nature…that wound will be quick to heal.' The trail became more faint after a few minutes, finally disappearing just before another door. Opening it, she found the assembly hangar for the final Eva unit. This one was closer to completion than most of the others had been, the core already in place in its torso. 'This one will have to be entirely removed for destruc-'

Rei's thoughts came to a sudden end as a creak from the catwalk she was standing on drew her attention further ahead. Instead of moving the flashlight's beam toward it, she clicked it off and slowly lowered it to the grating. "I know it is you, Nagisa," she said, her tone clear and sharp.

"You have finally awakened to your true nature," a soft male voice came from out of the darkness. Footsteps echoes throughout the empty hangar as Kaworu moved closer. Rei could make out that he was completely undressed, a large wound and blood dried on his right side. "I had wondered what was keeping you. I have made my presence known for some time."

"I only understood it recently," Rei told him. Every muscle in her body tensed, whether from preparedness or fear she was uncertain. "You know why I am here."

"Ah yes, of course," Kaworu said, shrugging. "You have done such a good job of eliminating any trace of either myself or those," he paused, pointing up at Unit-05. "I knew you would not resist. But I am no lifeless puppet you can just burn to ashes, like those others," he concluded, his eyes glowing eerily in the darkness. "And do not call me Nagisa, that is a name given to me by the Lilim. I am _Tabris_."

"I do not care what you wish to be addressed as," Rei spoke up, feeling the very air becoming charged around them. "If you are still wishing to complete your task as an Angel, then I cannot allow you to proceed any further. I do not want to harm you…but if I must, then so be it."

Kaworu laughed, a bitter and malicious sound. "Why do you allow them to use you? Are you really so happy to be their instrument?"

"This is no one's choice but my own. I am here of my own free will," Rei explained. "The Angels, the Evangelions, ourselves…none of them should have existed in the first place. So I will do what I can to amend those mistakes."

"Well, I will _not_ allow myself to be used," Kaworu replied. "That is why I do this. The old men of SEELE raised and trained me, but something within always told me to remember who I _really_ am. I always knew I would kill them, no matter if it was by their orders or my own choice." He started hard at Rei. "You cannot escape what you are, where you came from. So…I simply chose the path of least resistance."

"And so your genetics decided your fate?" Rei asked. "How is that a better decision?"

"Adam's destiny _is_ my own," Kaworu stated. "I am a vessel made of his flesh, and I contain his soul. We are one, he and I. Just as Lilith is to you."

Rei shook her head. "No," she flatly replied. "My body may be partially hers, I may have her soul…but I am _not_ Lilith." Her eyes began to shine with the same brightness as Kaworu's, taking on a dangerous edge. "I am Rei Ayanami, former First Child and pilot of the now-destroyed Evangelion Unit-00."

Kaworu sighed. "Very well then," he said. "If you believe yourself to be no different than the Lilim, then you will share their fate." Rei barely had time to react as his AT field crashed into her own like a battering ram. Try as he might, though, she held her ground…although the walkway between them was completely annihilated. "You are stronger than I expected." He focused harder and directed his field at hers again, this time with much more force. She stopped it, but was flung across the hangar, her own AT field stopping her from slamming full-force into a wall.

Rei cushioned her fall back to ground level with her AT field, looking up at Kaworu. "You cannot toy with me like you would a normal human," she warned, then extended her own field to smash the remainder of the walkway he was standing on. The grey-haired boy wasted no time, stopping his descent quickly and running to close the gap. As their fields met in a violent clash that shook sections of the facility apart and caused Unit-05 to come crashing to the ground, both tried to neutralize the other's protection.

Rei could feel her nose begin bleeding from the exertion of using her AT field this strenuously. And although she had been mostly protected from Kaworu's initial assaults, she could still feel bruises from the force that had been in his attacks. 'I am not as used to this power as he is,' she thought, fatigue setting enough to force her down to one knee…but she never dropped her field.

"Are you ready to submit and follow your destiny?" Kaworu asked, relishing his soon-to-be victory. "Do not worry, it will be a quick end for you. Then I shall go and become one with Adam's form."

Rei quickly sensed an opportunity, a way to take her opponent off-balance. "You do not know, do you?" she questioned. Kaworu kept up his attempt to breach her AT field, but shot the girl a puzzled look. "Tell me, do you still feel Adam's presence?"

Kaworu paused his attack to consider her question. "I can…although it is more faint than I recall." He shot her an angry look. "What are you talking about?"

"What you told to Shinji before trying to kill him," Rei explained. "He shared that information with us…which was then handed over to the U.N., who found the body of Commander Ikari in the Arctic, untouched by the base's destruction. Adam was still there, fused into his hand. They asked for our recommendation on what should be done with them both." She paused, breathing heavily. "It has been nearly two months since. I would surmise that, by now, Adam is well outside of Earth's orbit aboard a deep-space probe…and well outside of your reach."

Kaworu took a step backward, the look on his face much like it had been upon his first two 'deaths'. "You…you…" he repeated several times, gritting his teeth harder every time he did so. Finally, his anger exploded and he slammed his AT field full-strength into Rei, who was caught unaware. She was sent into a far wall, the wind knocked from her. "_You traitorous filth_!" he shouted, again directing his field into her, throwing her into another corner of the hangar. The former First Child tried to stand, but keeping conscious was becoming an issue. "How could you take my _birthright_ from me?" he continued to yell, his blood feeling like it was on fire. "My _purpose_? My very reason for _existing_?!" He shoved the girl into yet another wall, even more force applied this time.

As Rei stood again, she coughed up a small amount of blood. 'Internal bleeding, most likely,' she reasoned. Just as she managed to stand, Kaworu closed the distance and delivered an extremely powerful left hook to her midsection, interrupting her breathing again. He didn't give her a chance to recover, though, as he threw several punches into her face and torso. Every one felt like a hammer beating her down, tunneling her vision further.

"If you will side with them," Kaworu yelled as he continued his attack, "then I will kill you with my bare hands…just as a _human_ would." He kicked Rei in the ribs as she struggled to her feet after his latest blow. "Then I will go to that miserable country of yours and _burn it to the ground_! I may not even stop there…why not just snuff the life from every last person on this planet?" He lifted her to her feet and whispered the last part. "And they shall know it happened to them because of you."

'He will kill me soon if I do not act quickly,' Rei managed to think. 'I had not wished to do this…but it has gone on long enough.' She focused every last bit of concentration she had left and opened her eyes again, their glow now two blazing red beacons. "I had warned you that I would do what I have to," she spoke with some effort. "I held back when I did not have to. Remember that, Tabris." Catching him off-guard, she collided her AT field with his body and sent him flying across the room, finally stopping at Unit-05's core, which cracked from the sheer force applied. Kaworu did not have time to react, however, as she quickly brought her field to a literal point…and drove it deep through his torso and into the S2 engine behind him.

Kaworu spat up a heavy amount of blood, trying but unable to refocus his AT field. "You…you have pierced my core," he thought aloud, looking down. He pulled his head up to look Rei in the eyes. "I may die permanently this day," he began, his very form seeming to start glowing, "but you shall come with me." He smiled at her, this one pure and non-threatening. "Goodbye, Rei."

For a moment, Rei contemplated her options before relaxing and accepting her fate. 'I have said it myself: we never should have existed. This is what I have earned,' she thought. 'The death of a warrior.' She thought about the people awaiting her in Tokyo-3. 'I am sorry, everyone. I had wished to return…but this is what must happen. For the good of the world.' But as Nagisa's form reached critical, she felt something deeper within her unfurl her AT field. She was surprised for a second before she realized what had happened. 'I see…you will not let me die will you, Lilith?' she thought before being engulfed by a flash of energy…

* * *

'I am…still alive.'

Rei had awakened to find herself in the bottom of a very deep crater that used to be the Cairo facility. There was no trace of either it, Unit-05 or Kaworu…only a few miles of desert scorched to glass deep in the earth. 'It is truly over now,' she thought, feeling some relief through the great amount of pain she was experiencing. But she could already feel her body hard at work, healing her injuries. 'She is intent on keeping me alive, it seems.'

Now moving away from the destruction's epicenter, Rei began to think over some of Nagisa's words. 'Although he was driven by a hate for humanity and a blind attachment to his supposed fate…he simply did not wish to be used,' she mused. 'In that respect, were we really any different than the other?' And then there was the matter of Roque…or, more specifically, who he had been working for. 'Whoever they are, they have access to information about NERV and its technology…things that are better left well away from the wrong hands. The S2 engines are dangerous enough, but using Nagisa's genetic sample, they could create more copies.'

Rei paused mid-step, considering something she hadn't yet. 'Wait…what if they will try to acquire a sample from _me_? Or myself?' She felt upset that she hadn't thought of that already. 'I will have to investigate this further,' she mused. 'But I will have to do so in seclusion. There are too many risks otherwise.' She resumed her walk toward the nearest settlement, intent on returning to her home country…but not back to her previous life.

'No…there can be no rest for now. Not until I have my answers,' Rei mentally told herself, sighing. 'I sincerely hope my friends will understand.'

**-To be continued…-**

**A/N:** Now how was _that_ for an epic stand-off? I had been waiting a long time to do that part. And it turned out much better than I figured it would (not to mention their interaction during and after, too). And that'll be the last this saga sees of Nagisa. Oh, he may pop up again…in _another_ story. But that's all for here. But hey, look at it this way: at least he went out with a bang, not a 'splish'.

I know, I know…it was a terrible joke, don't even BS me about that one.

For those of you who recognize the team from _The Losers_ (which, here, are based more off the comic, not movie), their placement here is more planned than it appears. The original version of **THE IKARI IDENTITY** (and, subsequently, the rest of this timeline) was actually a diverged-off-of-EoE fic that also featured them. I'd go into specifics, but that would take too long. Long story short: they infiltrated NERV HQ incognito along with the JSSDF forces to extract the pilots/critical personnel to safety, and then things went from there. It was a good idea…until it took a left turn and became this storyline, which ended up _much_ better (mainly because I wrote myself into a corner with the earlier version).

This chapter title is a neat little mash-up of song references: _Flesh_ by **KMFDM** (the line '_There's a rusted halo on my head_' specifically) and _Angel With the Scabbed Wings_ by **Marilyn Manson**. It's a strange concoction but, one must admit, fitting.

One more chapter to go, and we're picking up a few months after this for a little wrap-up…kinda.

For the aforementioned epic Rei/Kaworu fight, find and listen to _Body Hammer_ by **Fear Factory**. And while we're on that subject…lyrically, it's really fitting for either of the Seeds. Look into it, you'll see what I mean.

Pre-read for this chapter was, once again, done by Ash. Thank you kindly, ma'am.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

**-AngelNo13Bardiel-**


	4. Through the Eyes of Ruby

See Chapter 1 for disclaimer. This last part takes place three months after the previous chapter.

**-THE AYANAMI SANCTIONS-**

Chapter 4: Through the Eyes of Ruby

The hotel room door opened, a couple stumbling inside the dark space. "Okay, I'll admit that was _kinda_ fun," a young male voice said after they finished sharing a laugh.

"And just how many times have I told you?" a young female voice replied. "If you let me plan an activity, you won't be bored."

As she fumbled in the dark for the switch, she didn't see the young man's change of expression. "Wait a second…" he said as he reached for her hand, some tension in his voice. "You feel that?"

The young girl stopped for a moment and focused her senses. "Yeah, I do," she answered. "There's somebody else here." She quickly reached inside her purse and searched, finally pulling a sharp nail file free. "Alright…I don't know who you are," she said loud enough without yelling, "but you can just get the hell out now. Trust me…you picked the wrong room to steal from."

"I assure you, I mean no harm," another, softer female voice spoke up. "Why would I wish to do so to friends?"

The young man recognized the voice and didn't hesitate for a second, clicking the room's main light on and revealing everyone inside. "Rei…" Shinji whispered, unable to believe his eyes.

Rei looked up at him from the chair she had been sitting in, pulling back the hood on her shirt that she had used to remain indistinguishable. As it came free, they could both see that the former First Child's hair had become much longer, nearly reaching her shoulders. "It is good to see you are doing well," she said. "I apologize for the intrusion."

"Of all the people that could have been in here," Asuka spoke up, placing her purse down and taking a seat on the bed nearby, "you're the _last_ I would have expected. We thought you were-"

"Deceased, I assume?" Rei asked. "That was my not my intent, but it has aided me well."

Asuka looked over at Shinji, who still hadn't recovered from his surprise, and sighed heavily. "Hey baka-Shinji, I know you're shocked and everything…but it's _really_ rude to not address guests."

Shinji snapped out of his trance, finally taking a seat next to Asuka on the bed. "Sorry…I'm just…" he began, hanging his head and taking several deep breaths. "I always knew it…I knew you didn't die." He looked up at Rei. "But it's been three months, where…where _have_ you been?"

"We shall get to that in a moment," Rei told him. "What do you know of my last known whereabouts?"

Asuka spoke up. "Ritsuko filled us in on what happened. Was there really another Nagisa at Cairo?"

Rei nodded. "This one was not only aware…he had _awakened_." Seeing their puzzled looks, she explained. "His Angelic nature. His power, it was…a terrible thing to behold. Enough to be a potential threat to mankind if I had not intervened."

Shinji looked her in the eyes. "Did you…"

Rei nodded again. "I…I wish it had not come to that," she admitted. "I hoped that I could dissuade him from what he believe to be his 'destiny'. But…" she paused, hanging her head. "He would not have stopped by his choice. I nearly died before it became clear that reasoning with him was unfeasible. The level of injury I endured would have been fatal to a normal human. But given…_what_ I am, I was healed completely within two weeks."

"Well…I'm glad you didn't check out, Rei," Asuka said, then pointed a thumb at Shinji. "Trust me…he practically fell apart when we heard the news."

Rei lifted her head, looking from one to the other. "You were that concerned about me?"

"Of course we were," Shinji replied. "You _are_ our friend, remember?" He hung his head, pausing. "And the truth is, it led to…well, let's just say it wasn't good."

"Shinji…" Asuka began, her tone somber. "Are you sure you want to tell her-"

"Yes, I am," Shinji answered. "She's…the closest thing I have to family. I think that gives her a right to know."

"What do I have a right to know?" Rei asked, cocking her head. "I am not sure what you are talking about."

Asuka sighed heavily. "It's…look, before we get into it, I just want you to know that it wasn't _really_ your fault. Your disappearance was just the…catalyst for what happened." She paused, taking a deep breath. "It was a few days after we heard about it. Shinji had been moping around the apartment…depressed, I guess you would say. It hurt to see, but I still got mad about it. I had been doing really well getting him to be less…well, like the old baka-Shinji, so this felt like a hell of a step backwards."

"I don't remember what happened exactly," Shinji cut in, his face very sad. "But somehow, Asuka trying to get me to cheer up led to an argument about me caring more about you than her."

Rei gazed at Asuka curiously. "Don't give me that look," the redhead said. "I've already hated myself more than you _possibly_ could for those words." She hung her head. "I…I snapped. I hit him…really hard, actually. Just a slap, but it was with enough force to give him a black eye."

Shinji reached up to his left eye. "I think I can still feel it sometimes," he said with a laugh. Seeing that Rei was listening intently, he went on. "I was so angry with her that I…I just went silent. I left the apartment and wandered around until well into the night."

"That was the start of four days of hell," Asuka continued. "He came home, but he spent the night on the couch…and every night after that. We didn't talk, didn't look at each other, just a…complete shutdown of our relationship. Everyone saw it happen, even his stooge buddies weren't dumb enough to miss this."

"The afternoon of the fourth day, we ran into each other at home in the hallway outside the bathroom," Shinji picked up. "We just stood there, not knowing what to say to each other." He looked over at Asuka. "She broke the silence first."

"What did you say?" Rei asked.

Asuka sighed. "I told him, 'I need you'. And it's probably the most true thing I'd ever said to someone up to then." She reached over and took hold of one of Shinji's hands. "We'd moved into the same room by that time, but having to go back to sleeping alone after that fight…it really made me understand just what I _didn't_ have for so long, the warmth and security of someone's love. I…I didn't want to lose that."

"That's pretty much the same way I felt, too," Shinji said. "We hugged and made up right there." He paused, squeezing Asuka's hand. "Misato sat us down and explained that those kind of things are what happen to couples sometimes. We had gone back to our lives, not thinking about the long-term scars we were already living with. We just…ignored them and tried to be happy."

"So we sat down that night and told each other everything," Asuka continued. "And I mean _everything_. That included telling him about…my mother."

"I see…" Rei said. "That must have been difficult."

Asuka nodded. "But we're better for it now. With a little help from the people close to us, our relationship is stronger than ever. And by Gott, I'm certain we're both going to try and _make_ it work."

Rei felt a genuine smile come upon her. "I am…happy for you both. And I am grateful that you trust me enough to tell me these things." She let her face relax again. "How is Dr. Akagi? I am still…rather sad that I had to leave her as I did."

"She's doing pretty well," Shinji replied. "She's been working on how to adapt Project E's technology for other uses."

"Oh?" Rei questioned. "That is interesting information. How is her work progressing?"

"Pretty well, actually," Asuka answered. "She's even going to help out Suzuhara. Before you ask, I don't know the _specifics_, you'd have to ask her…but it has something to do with the way they fixed the EVAs, limb re-growth and repair."

"He volunteered to have a prototype attached," Shinji spoke up. "She says that Toji should have a working limb as good as the one he lost within a year."

"I am sure that you are pleased with that result, correct?" Rei asked, which Shinji confirmed with a nod. "How is she…personally?"

"Better these days," Asuka replied. "I think a lot of that has to do with Maya."

"Lieutenant Ibuki?" Rei questioned, her tone surprised. "I…do not understand."

"Well…they're, um…together now," Shinji answered, the barest hint of a blush forming.

"I am aware they are working together again," Rei said, oblivious to his meaning. "What does that have to-"

"No, Rei," Asuka interrupted, giggling a little. "I mean like this," she said, holding up her hand, still intertwined with Shinji's.

Rei's eyes opened wide as realization came to her. "Oh…" she spoke softly. "But I was unaware that she-"

"I don't even think _she_ knew," Asuka cut in. "I can see where she's coming from, though…if my last male relationship was with the Commander, I'd have changed teams, too." She looked at the boy next to her. "No offense, baka-Shinji." He didn't say anything, just shrugged and laughed a bit, which the redhead shared in.

"And Major Katsuragi?" Rei questioned. "Agent Ryoji?"

"Oh, they're doing well too," Asuka said. "I think they've already repaired whatever kind of relationship they had years ago. It's a little tough, given how often Kaji has to travel out of the country, but…well, that's the nature of his work."

"Then I suppose that leads me to my next inquiry," Rei said, looking around the room. "If I may ask, just why are you in a hotel in Okinawa?"

"Misato's treat," Asuka replied. "She had some vacation time saved up recently, and we missed that school trip last year, so…here we are. Misato and Kaji are in a room down the hall. Did you want to-"

Rei shook her head. "No, that is quite alright. If I had wanted them to know of my location, I would have already."

"Rei…" Shinji spoke up. "You never did say _where_ you've been for the last three months…"

"No, I suppose I did not," Rei admitted, sighing. "I returned to the shelter and have been investigating some loose ends."

"Investigating what?" Shinji asked.

"You are both aware of a person named Roque, correct?" Rei questioned, to which they both nodded in agreement. "He did not attempt his theft of an S2 engine or a DNA sample of Nagisa on his own. Someone with working knowledge of NERV's technology paid him to acquire those items. _That_ is what I have been looking into. Unfortunately, there is only so much I can do on my own." She paused for a moment. "And I am…afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Asuka questioned.

Rei sighed. "If this person or persons is interested in obtaining a sample of Nagisa's DNA, then they would also be looking for-"

"-you," Shinji finished for her. "How are you so sure they even _know_ you're still alive? Didn't Misato say your file listed you as '_deceased_'?"

"If someone knows about the remaining pieces of Angel-based technology, which are heavily classified," Rei explained, "then my continued existence is no secret to them. But even without them being a factor…there is still the people who would use me for my power." She paused, taking a deep breath. "It is one reason why Nagisa chose to follow his nature, he did not want to be used by people in power any longer. I fear that someone who can access my file will consider me a weapon no different than the EVAs…or worse, a test subject to be picked apart and studied. And I do not wish to live either of those lives…but those are hardly the only things I have a fear of."

"Rei…" Shinji said quietly, reaching out to her.

"My power…I am afraid of it," Rei began, which made Shinji retract his hand. "I have used it only when needed, but even then, I can feel that it has…changed me. I did not understand how at first, but since my last encounter with Nagisa, I have realized what it is I am feeling." She looked up at her friends. "Lilith. She is within me…and I am experiencing her feelings and memories, flashes of events well before mankind existed in my dreams. She has existed for millennia on Earth, and given I am made from her, I often wonder if I will have even a fraction of her longevity." She shook her head. "But I digress. What I am most afraid of is that the longer I live, the more likely I am to use my power…even if only when necessary…but, in that respect, the more likely it is that it will alter me." She shivered mid-sentence. "I fear what happened to Nagisa may happen to myself, that _what_ I am will overtake _who_ I am."

"Rei…" Shinji spoke up after a long silence. "I don't believe that would happen to you. That's what I think, anyway." He shook his head. "I don't know if I'm _able_ to understand that fear, but I know what it is to be afraid…I lived with _many_ for a long time. But I realized that fear is a good thing." He looked back up into Rei's eyes. "Fear is a motivator, a reason to change things. Some things it's okay to be afraid of…" He paused, squeezing Asuka's hand lightly. "And some things you shouldn't be afraid of."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him," she said, smiling, "he's been reading a lot of my books lately, college-level stuff." The smile left her face. "But he _is_ right. Fear doesn't have to hold you back…it can move you forward. Just think about it, Ayanami. That's all we're saying. I can't say much about you being afraid of your power, that's something only _you_ can figure out…but if you really are afraid someone is after you, get in contact with Misato or Kaji or even Ritsuko through some kind of secure channel. They can protect you."

"I understand how fear can be useful," Rei answered after another long quiet pause, "but it is merely that I am unused to feeing it. That does not help with controlling it. Nonetheless, I will…consider your offer. Perhaps it would be for the better to have help with this matter." She stood from her seat. "I wish I could stay longer, but I must return to my investigation. I feel like I am close to something, but I do not know what. But I promise that I will make more frequent visits to you both from now on." She looked down at the floor. "It must be done in complete secrecy, just as with this meeting. You cannot tell anyone we met here."

Shinji nodded, his face somewhat sad. "I understand, Rei. That's okay with me." He stood from the bed, as did Asuka. "I hope you get the answers you're looking for soon. We want you to come home."

"As do I, Shinji," Rei said. "The shelter is adequate for survival and isolation, but not-"

A series of knocks at the door startled the former Children. "Asuka? Shinji?" Misato's voice came from the other side. "You two never checked in when you got back."

"Sorry, Misato," Shinji said, walking over to the door but not opening it. "We forgot about it."

"It's okay, I'm just making sure you're alright," Misato replied. "Kaji and I are going to go down to the bar for a few drinks. Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"No promises," Asuka answered, her tone light and playful. "We _know_ what you would do."

"Watch it, young lady," Misato warned. "I _do_ have a key to your room."

"Oh great, you wanna watch or something?" Asuka shot back, trying not to giggle.

There was the sound of male and female laughter from the other side of the door. "I…think we'll pass," Kaji said. "Just get to bed at a reasonable time. Let's go, Misato." The very light sound of footsteps soon disappeared.

Shinji sighed. "Oh, that was close. Don't you think so, Rei?" Hearing no response, he and Asuka turned around, finding their 'guest' was nowhere to be seen. "Rei?" Moving to the open balcony doors, they looked down over the railing at the street where, five floors below, the girl in question had already made it to ground level and pulled the hood back over her head, once again becoming unrecognizable to anyone passing her. She waved slightly up at them, which was returned, then cast her gaze forward and continued walking along the empty sidewalk.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Asuka questioned.

Shinji shook his head. "Honestly…I don't know," he replied. "But I hope so. I really do." Asuka sidled up to him, putting her arm over him and into a light embrace. As he returned it, he had one last thought about the former First Child. 'Rei…be safe, wherever you go. We'll be waiting for you.'

* * *

As Rei walked along the streets leading out of Okinawa, she was unaware of two pairs of eyes watching her movements from far off. "So how do you want to approach this?" a male voice said into his earpiece.

"Very simply," another male voice, older and with a heavy accent, replied. "We'll keep watch on her from a long distance. When we reach a suitable point for contact, I'll step out and talk to her. Whether she agrees to go along or not, I'll need you to be ready with that dart. But your aim _must_ be accurate. We only have so much with us, and we'll need most of it to keep her sedated for travel. But I think she'll be more forthcoming than you think."

"How are you so sure she'll be compliant?"

"Her friends. They will make suitable leverage. After all, it was how we found her in the first place, wasn't it?"

"But sir, we don't have them in custody."

"We don't need to. We need only use the _threat_ to get her attention. That will be sufficient enough."

"And once we _do_ have her, the project will move forward?"

"Indeed. Roque may have failed in procuring a sample from Nagisa…and given what happened to the facility at Cairo, that most certainly was for the best. I believe she will make a more…fitting subject."

**-To be continued in THE IKARI LEGACY**-

**A/N:** You didn't think I'd end it off _here_, did you? No, there's still one more arc to this storyline (last one for now) and it should be incoming before too long (a week hopefully, I promise no later than two). This chapter fell more into what I mostly write: shorter and heavy on the drama, but no real action and only a little suspense at the end. I used it more to show Rei's growth as a character in this timeline (as well as Shinji's and Asuka's…you _know_ I can't forget them). I hope I did a good job, she's not as easy to write as the Children I'm more experienced with. It's partly why **SANCTIONS** came into being in the first place: not just to fill in the gaps between other parts of this timeline, but also to get in more experience at writing Rei.

Oh, and before anyone gets concerned: that little fight Shinji and Asuka alluded to above is _not_ based on one between Ash and myself. Honestly, we haven't really done that (a heated argument here and there at most). Keep in mind that most of this was planned/first written over a year before I even _met_ her (which is coming around near two years now), she just helped me with the final revisions/edits/etc.

As for the _why_ of that fight, let's just put aside the 'shipping' mindset for a moment and pull realism back into the mix: remember that these two were, speaking canonically, already a couple of psychological messes _before_ the events of this storyline. So given that combination, trying to go on with a 'normal' (which is a relative term, really) life without first working through that emotional barbed-wire is going to lead to something ugly happening before too long (and the further along in the series, the tougher it's going to get). You'd do well to remember one of those 'unwritten rules' of writing Asuka/Shinji fics: "_**To create a new relationship, an old one must be torn down first."**_

The fate of destruction is the joy of rebirth, _indeed_.

Unfortunately, there _is_ a bit of sad news: I have decided to discontinue the Omakes I had been doing back since **NEPHILIM** (which I wish, while I'm mentioning it, wouldn't get the kind of praise it does…it's merely '_good_' at best, trust me on that one). Not because of any kind of reader opinion, mind you…I just feel it's time to retire the girls, send them on their way out into the ether. I've grown, they've grown…we've _all_ grown over the years.

We've had a good run, ladies…I'll miss you.

That being said, we'll send them off with one last song-to-scene for this story. In this case, you're going to go listen to _This Wheel's On Fire_ by **Siouxsie And The Banshees** (yeah, I'm aware it was originally written and performed by **Bob Dylan And The Band**…but I like the Banshees' version, it's more lush and orchestral). Call it what plays over the end credits, if you will.

The lyrics, if you're interested:

"_If your memory serves you well  
We were going to meet again and wait  
So I'm going to unpack all my things  
And sit before it gets too late  
_

_No man alive will come to you  
With another tale to tell  
But you know that we shall meet again  
If your memory serves you well_

_This wheel's on fire  
Rolling down the road  
Best notify my next of kin  
This wheel shall explode_

_If your memory serves you well  
I was going to confiscate your lace  
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot  
And hide it in your case_

_If I knew for sure that it was yours  
But it was oh-so-hard to tell  
And you know that we shall meet again  
If your memory serves you well_

_This wheel's on fire  
Rolling down the road  
Best notify my next of kin  
This wheel shall explode_

_If your memory serves you well  
You'll remember that you're the one  
That called on me to call on them  
To get you your favors done  
_

_And after every plan had failed  
And there was nothing more to tell  
You knew that we would meet again  
If your memory served you well_

_This wheel's on fire  
Rolling down the road  
Best notify my next of kin  
This wheel shall explode_"

Pre-read was, once again, done by Ash. Thank you kindly, ma'am. Now, see, I told you that you could hang with a multi-chapter story. Strap in, though: we're about to do the same thing again soon.

As usual: good comments will be appreciated, bad ones will be ignored (or kept for firewood). But I do favor good/helpful criticism, so send it my way! And review! Even if it's not positive, review!

Until our paths next cross,  
**-AngelNo13Bardiel-**


End file.
